Coming of Age
by D-Syfer
Summary: Strange events were happening to Merlin, but these events pointed to his coming of age. He must now take the rite of passage, a series of tests in order for him to prove himself that he is Emrys that the prophecies speak of. Set after S2.
1. Chapter 1 Levitation

_**A/N: Hello. This is my first attempt in writing a fan fiction. I hope you guys would understand that English is not really my mother tongue, especially British English. So I've written this British story in US English since it's the type of English I'm use to and grew up with. And also I hope you would forgive me if ever I made mistakes in my grammar and for using simple words that I've chosen for writing this story. Your reviews and comments are well appreciated, as long as they are constructive.**_

_**I hope you will enjoy reading this. The story takes place on the end of season 2. **_

_**So sorry, no Morgana and the Great Dragon here. But who knows maybe as the story progress they might get included.**_

_**I dedicate this fanfic to my 3-year-old niece Charlize, my sister Cherry and my cousin Jenny who are also avid fans of the show, and also to my mom, Linda and dad, Vic.**_

_**Disclaimer: BBC owns the rights to the show. I don't get paid for writing this. I only write for fun.**_

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**CHAPTER 1**

**LEVITATION**

It was the mid of a cool summer's night and the people of Camelot had all gone to sleep. Only a hand full of royal guards stayed awake and took their nightly patrols to keep watch over the city. The full moon shone brightly spreading its light throughout the kingdom.

The sounds of night creatures and the restless sound of stirring wind as it shook the leaves of trees filled the forest surrounding the city. Among the trees in the forest was a distinct variety of Magnolia trees. Unlike other Magnolia trees that flower in the spring, this variety flowers in the mid of summer as fall approaches. The Magnolia trees started to bloom its fragrant flowers, as if the moon commanded them to do so.

In the midst of the forest an old man dressed in a white cloak stood staring at the castle of Camelot at a distance, and behind him stood a beautiful pure white unicorn.

It was peaceful and quiet in Gaius' chambers as the old physician slept snoring on his bed. In Merlin's room, the light of the moon beamed in from an open window illuminating the young warlock in his slumber. Prince Arthur had given his servant a heavy workload for that day and it made Merlin tired to the bone. Although Merlin's daily chores seemed to be the same as in any other day yet he felt much more tired than ever before. Probably because of the summer heat, the hot climate seemed to drain Merlin's energy. When he got home the boy didn't even ate his supper. He's worn out body couldn't take it anymore so he went straight to his room and surrendered to the comfort of his small bed.

The bell tower tolled and its sound echoed throughout the land. It was midnight, and at that moment Merlin started to become restless in his sleep. He tossed and turned while panting as he clenched his blanket tightly as if he was having a nightmare. Beads of sweat started forming on the young man's brow as he moans. After a few minutes his restlessness ceased. He slightly opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling, but he wasn't awake. And then his blue irises flashed golden.

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The bright light of the early morning sun broke into the physician's chambers. Gaius was already up and ready for the day's duties. His chambers were on the top floor of the palace, giving the room a superb view of the city and the surrounding forest.

One of Gaius' greatest pleasures was standing by his window and gazed at the whole city, the place where he had lived and served for the rest of the autumn years of his life. It had been more than twenty years and yet Camelot's charm had not changed much.

He noticed in the distant woods that patches of yellow were dotted against the greenery of the forest. It was that time in the season when the Magnolia trees had bloomed. Gaius smiled, he knew that the day would be pleasant for the fragrance of the Magnolia flowers would swirl around the city giving a sign that summer was almost about to end.

As he admired the grand scenery his focus shifted to the height of the sun, Gaius suddenly remembered the time. It was about mid morning and his ward, Merlin, hadn't woken up yet. The young manservant was going to be late again for his duties for Arthur, and that would really irritate the Crown Prince. Gaius should wake Merlin up before Arthur comes to his chambers to fetch his servant, again.

Gaius strolled up the short steps leading to Merlin's room. He paused in front the wooden door and knocked.

"Merlin, time to get up now. You don't want Arthur get annoyed with you again because of your tardiness."

There was no answer. He knocked again, "Merlin."

Still no answer. Gaius thought Merlin might have been tired the night before. All the work and the heat could have been exhausting for the young warlock. The physician wanted to give Merlin some proper rest but the morning was up and his duty called. So with a sigh Gaius decided to enter.

Poking his finger in a hole on the right side of the door he lifted a latch behind it and slowly opened. Gaius stepped in, and what he saw came to him as a shock.

"What on earth . . ."

Merlin's room was charged with power, a flow of pure energy. Even Gaius could feel it, and it made the hairs on his arms stood up. Because of this some of the objects in the room floated in the air as they spun slowly. Merlin's brown jacket, boots, trousers, neckerchiefs, and tunics were drifting swiftly. Along with his clothes were books, a half bitten apple, some pieces of paper, candle holders and other stuff. Even the magic book that Gaius gave Merlin floated freely. The physician garbed hold of the book and placed it against his chest. Only the bed, the cupboard, shelves and table stayed in their place.

Gaius was in awe, his mouth hang open as his eyes followed the flying objects. He felt like he was underwater with the way the object moved and floated. But he snapped out of his reverence when he finally noticed that the bed Merlin slept on was empty. Gaius abruptly became worried.

"Merlin, where are you?" he called out as he scanned his eyes around the room. But there was no sign of the young warlock. Where could he be?

Then all of a sudden a white hand appeared in front of Gaius' eye level. It flung hanging from above startling the old man. Gaius slowly lifted his eyes up to the ceiling and gasped.

Merlin was levitating seven feet from the floor. His arms dangled at his sides while the rest of his body was horizontal and parallel to his bed. And the boy wasn't moving at all.

A rush of concern took over the physician, "Merlin, what's happening to you?"

Gaius tried to remember his pass experiences when he himself practiced sorcery. He couldn't recall anything like what Merlin was experiencing at that moment. But of course Merlin was different. Different from any sorcerer he ever knew. Merlin didn't learn magic, he was born with it. It's part of every fiber of his being. When Gaius first met Merlin, the young warlock didn't even need to mutter out spells to use magic, they just happened instinctively. To Gaius, Merlin was a question that was never been posed before. So could Merlin's uniqueness be the reason for this odd event?

Gaius suddenly realized that this wasn't the time for questions and answers. He had to hold the thought because first things first, he must get Merlin down from the ceiling. He didn't want to be pessimistic but Gaius envisioned a worst-case scenario. Arthur might come storming in his chambers any moment looking for his tardy manservant. And if Arthur sees Merlin in this state who knows what he will tell his father, King Uther.

Gaius darted around the room looking for something to get himself up to Merlin's level while dodging the floating objects. He got hit right smack on the face by one of Merlin's floating boots. With annoyance, he angrily shoved it away. He saw a bedside table and a stool that was also floating but they were too low. Suddenly Gaius remembered he has a ladder that he was using to get himself up tall shelves. The physician shoved other drifting objects as he got out of the room. First he place the magic book that he was holding on a work bench, then grabbed the ladder that was leaning on a shelf. Then quickly, as fast as the old man could move, went back to Merlin's room. He leaned the ladder on the wall next to the bed while securing it on the floor to prevent it from slipping. Then with careful steps he climbed up the ladder.

After about four steps Gaius could see Merlin's expressionless face. Sweat plastered his jet black hair onto his forehead and his skin was much paler. What surprised Gaius the most was Merlin's eyes, half opened and staring blankly on the ceiling. And instead of blue, his irises glowed golden. Gaius had seen Merlin's eyes shine gold before while performing magic. So that means Merlin _was_ causing all of this. But it seemed the boy wasn't aware of it. It was like the time when he got poisoned by Nimueh. Merlin was delirious and unconscious, but he was still doing magic as he muttered spells in the language of the old religion. He even made a blue glowing orb appear on his hand. Gaius thought maybe it had something to do with Arthur's predicament when the Prince went out in search for the Mortaeus flower, the only cure for Merlin's condition. Merlin seemed to know Arthur was in mortal danger, and beyond his unconsciousness, he still helped Arthur escape and the Prince returned to Camelot safely.

Gaius thought he had to do something to wake Merlin up. He thought of potions, but Merlin's too asleep to even drink it. He even thought of spilling water on Merlin's face, but the old man couldn't lift a bucket of water up a ladder. Then he thought of a conventional way. Gaius placed his hand on his ward's shoulder and began to shake him. His mouth was close on the boy's ear as he called his name.

"Merlin. . . Merlin, wake up. Merlin. . ."

With that Merlin started to awake. He eyes slowly became blue again. The boy blinked several times then glanced at his guardian's face, still a bit incoherent.

"Gaius . . ." the boy said in a sleepy tone.

"Are you awake now?" Gaius asked.

Merlin stifled a yawn, "Yeah, almost. Why? Is there a problem?"

Gaius raised an eyebrow, "I was about to ask you the same question."

The old man's eyes gazed upon the brown jacket that had past by floating in the air. Merlin followed Gaius' gaze and the young warlock's face was bewildered. Looking around Merlin could see the floating objects slowly swirling around the room. And he finally noticed Gaius appeared to be on a ladder.

"What's going on? What's with the ladder, Gaius?" Merlin moved his hands around trying to search for something, "Why can't I feel my bed?"

Suddenly all flying objects halted from circling around and dropped. The heavy objects made a loud _thump_ on the wooden floor while the lighter objects, like paper, slowly descended as they were caught by the flow of air. With wide eyes Merlin looked at Gaius in surprise. And after a few seconds Merlin was plummeting too.

"Whooow!"

Merlin fell onto his small bed, it seemed to have broken his fall but his bed was a bit hard because the old mattress on it was thin.

Merlin sat up groaned in pain while holding his lower back, "Aaawww! That hurts . . ."

Gaius climbed down from the ladder. He picked up a stool and sat beside the bed to attend Merlin.

"Are you alright my boy?" Gaius said with concern.

Merlin cringed from his back pain, "Yeah guess so, just a bit dizzy and my back is aching like hell. Oooww." Then Merlin expression changed as he gave a befuddled look at Gaius, "What had just happened to me?"

Gaius sighed and explained, "You where levitating about seven feet from the floor while your bedroom looked like it were submerged underwater with all your belongings floating around."

Merlin was taken aback, "Really? I was?" he asked troubled.

"Yes you were." Gaius said, "Weren't you even aware it?"

Merlin shook his head, "No, I was fast asleep."

The two became silent for a moment as they mused. How this could happen without Merlin knowing. He would have certainly felt magic flowing trough him even in his sleep. Then he had a notion and turned to Gaius, "Could another sorcerer be doing this to me?"

"I don't think so. I'm afraid that you're the one who's doing it. I could tell because your eyes were glowing golden. And also I felt a flow of magical power in here. It felt like it was emanating from you."

The boy looked around and saw the state of his room. It was a mess. Well, the room was always messy since Merlin didn't have time to clean it up because of his hectic schedules for Arthur and chores to be done for Gaius. But the mess of the room was overwhelming, as if a tornado came in and blew everything around. It's going to take him a long time to straighten the place up again. Merlin pouted.

"Great, just great . . ." he said scratching his head in frustration.

Merlin wanted to stand up but his movement caused his back to hurt. He groaned from the pain, "I should get a thicker mattress for my bed if this going to be a nightly occurrence for me. Or better yet, just strap me on the bed so I wouldn't fly away."

Gaius smiled at that, "I'll get you something for the pain." The old physician tapped the boy's shoulder. He stood up and went out of the room leaving Merlin alone to ponder.

For what had just happened Merlin's felt booth astonished and frightened. Astonished because he realized he has so much untapped power within him. The sorcerer Cornelius Sigan said that Merlin was a powerful sorcerer, but the young warlock had yet to know the true extent of his powers. He was limited to use his magic, he had to keep it a secret, or else his head might end up on a chopping block.

But for him it was good to know that he could do such powerful magic, even when his unconscious. _'O-oh', _and that thought frighten him. Unconsciously using his powerful magic was a frightening prospect. What if he might hurt someone or if someone might see him in one of his magical fits? This really bothered him.

Gaius came back with a small bottle on hand. He gave it to his ward and Merlin drank the contents straight up.

Merlin gazed up to the old man with worried eyes, "Is it bad Gaius?"

Gaius sat beside his ward on the edge of the bed, "I'm not sure Merlin. I've never seen anything quite like it."

"I can't help to think that it might happen again." Merlin said wearily.

Gaius could see the anxiety on Merlin's face. He wished he could give his ward some answers, but he's years of knowledge and experience in magic had not prepare him for this moment. All he could do was give some assurance to the young warlock.

"Don't concern yourself too much my boy. We'll try to find out what's causing this. But for your sake, I have to keep a close watch on you from now on."

Merlin looked at Gaius. He made a goofy grin and sighed, "Well, I hope what happened was just a one night event."

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_**Please review. Thanks for reading. **_


	2. Chapter 2 Explosion

_**A/N: Thank you guys for reviewing my previous chapter, you guys made my day. I like to thank WitchyWeasel and oceanblue14 for their comments, I really appreciate them. I learn a lot from you guys. I reposted Chapter 1 with the proper corrections.**_

_**I also would like to thank those who added my story to their Story Alerts and Favorite Stories. I'm so happy to see that many of you read it and really liked it. That gave me inspiration to continue on.**_

_**Here now is the second chapter of my first attempt in writing a fan fic. I hope you guys will enjoy reading this.**_

_**Disclaimer: BBC owns the rights to the show. I don't get paid for writing this. I only write for fun. **_

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**CHAPTER 2**

**EXPLOSION**

The potion Gaius gave Merlin for his back really did the trick. The pain wasn't totally gone but it was bearable. Gaius had also put some sort of warm minty ointment on the boy's back and bandaged his waist. It was the same stuff the physician would put on his patients with joint problems, particularly the elderly. It felt nice on Merlin's bruised back, but to him the smell wasn't very appealing. It was not unpleasant yet it smelled very strong, like concentrated oregano and eucalyptus combined. He hoped Arthur wouldn't notice or else he'll get a lot of teasing. After looking for some of his clothes and boots in his now clattered and chaotic bedroom, Merlin got dressed, ate a quick breakfast and set off to work. He promised himself that he will clean up his room when he's finished with his chores for Arthur.

The young warlock thought he could get away from not going to work that day due to his back. It could have been a convincing excuse though. Merlin wanted to take the day-off so he could figure out why he levitated in his sleep, and also to avoid from getting teased at because of his smell. But Gaius insisted that the boy should do his duties for the Prince and pretend like nothing happened. Sure, he could do that, pretending is one of Merlin's great talents besides his magic. He had been hiding his true self for a very long time and everyone in Camelot were still oblivious to who he really was. Yet the incident in his room had him thinking. He feared that it might happen again, and if it does happen again, '_when'_ and_ 'where'_ were the big questions. Gaius promised Merlin that he would do his best to look for some information that will help them understand what was going on with him. Gaius would dig through his books and papers all day if he has to, or even pay a visit to his old friend Geoffrey of Monmouth in the court archives. Merlin felt assured in his guardian's words, so he shouldn't worry too much.

Merlin reached the wide oak doors of Arthur's chambers. While balancing a tray of food on his arms, he carefully opened the door. Across the room was the _'royal prat'_, already dressed, seating on his four post bed while waiting for his manservant. When the Prince saw Merlin come in, he stood up and welcomed his servant with a rant.

"Merlin, you idiot, you're late again! That's the forth time this week and it's only Thursday. How many mornings will you keep me waiting for you? You're getting lazy!"

"Good morning to you too, Sire." Merlin said while placing the food on the table that was near the bed.

Arthur continued, "I almost went to Gaius' chambers to fetch you."

Merlin gulped. If Arthur were there while he was levitating that would have ended badly.

"Then why didn't you fetch me?" Merlin asked.

Arthur frustratingly explained, "Because I don't want you to get use to being fetched all the time. What would people think if they saw me fetching my manservant in his quarters, _again_ for the forth time in a row? Do you realize how . . ." Arthur tried to find the right word, "_undignifying _that would be?"

"It's a good thing you thought about your dignity." Then Merlin added in his mind,_ For once._

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Honestly, I don't know why I still keep you around. Your tardiness is keeping _my_ schedules at bay."

"Well at least you know how to dress yourself now." Said Merlin with a mocking smile.

"I _do_ have other abilities too, _Merlin_." Arthur said wryly, "If you're going to be late again I swear I'll throw you in the stocks."

"Sure Arthur." Merlin jadedly said while preparing the prince's breakfast on the table not minding his master's continues prattle. The boy was so used to this sort of taunting, Arthur kept saying he'll throw Merlin to the stocks but that never happened, _yet_.

After arranging Arthur's breakfast Merlin left the table and headed for the four post bed. Arthur's nose suddenly caught something in the air when Merlin passed by him.

The prince paused, "What's that smell?"

"Er, what smell?" Merlin wanted to sound ignorant but he knew it was the ointment. The smell crept into his blue tunic and jacket.

Arthur followed the smell like a bloodhound, sniffing the air for the trace of the sent. Merlin tried not to pay attention on what the Prince was doing, he was playing naive as he smoothes out the sheet and blanket on the bed. After a few whiffs Arthur's nose landed on the shoulder of Merlin's jacket. The Prince pulled back from the stench.

"By the gods, Merlin, what is that?" Arthur said wrinkling his nose.

Merlin knew this was going to happen, and now he had some explaining to do. He sighed, "Gaius put some ointment on my lower back and bandaged it."

"You smell like an old woman with a bad case of arthritis."

Merlin retorted, "Well, it smells better than your socks."

"At least I don't wear it on my sleeve." The Prince cynically said then added, "What the hell happened to you?"

Arthur's voice had a hint of concern, Merlin noticed it. The blond man sat at the table and ate his breakfast. He waited for Merlin's answer.

"I've . . . been feeling some pain when I woke up this morning."

"How did you manage to get yourself hurt while sleeping?", Arthur chewed a piece of bread then continued, "Wait, you fell of your bed, didn't you?"

Merlin gave the Prince a side-glance, "No, I did not. I just felt it when I woke up."

"Oh really, Merlin. Have I been giving too many back breaking chores lately?"

"Mmmm . . . That's probably the reason."

When the servant turned around to the other side of the bed Arthur noticed Merlin's face flinching a bit. Merlin held one hand on his back, stood up straight and walked to the other side of the enormous bed.

Although Arthur found it amusing to see Merlin acting like an elderly person with a back problem, however he felt a little sorry for his servant. Arthur assumed that Merlin must have injured his back while working. He observed his manservant closely and saw Merlin seemed to be a bit pale. It's probably due to the heat of the season that made it more draining to work. These past several days his servant had been working relentlessly from morning till late in the evening. Arthur considered he should give Merlin a break. He maybe an arrogant prat but he does have a heart.

To mask his concern the Prince made his voice sound pompous, "Okay. You better clean my room. I'll be outside training the new knights, and when I return I want to see this place spick-and-span. Then afterwards you can take the rest of the day off."

Merlin snapped his head towards his master with a surprised expression across his face.

"Really? Seriously? ", Merlin said unbelievingly.

Arthur nodded, "You better get Gaius fix your back. You might go paralyze if it's not treated. And I don't want that happening to you." The prince was even surprised at what he just said, "It's . . . hard to get a half-descent servant these days.", he added.

Merlin could read Arthur like an open book. The servant had known the Prince long enough for him to see behind Arthur's superciliousness.

Merlin smirked, "Gee, Arthur, I didn't knew you cared."

"Just . . . don't get the wrong idea, okay. But you better take care of yourself and come back to work tomorrow when you're back is healed. Is that understood?", Arthur ordered.

"Yes, sire. Thank you.", Merlin said with appreciation.

He couldn't believe it. Arthur's giving him a day off? Merlin guessed that his back pain drama unintentionally worked. He felt a bit guilty though. The cause of his pain in fact wasn't from the workload for the past days. Yet it was a welcome relief. The young warlock needed all the time in the world so he may perhaps help Gaius in figuring out what the heck was wrong with him.

After breakfast Arthur stood up, took his sword from top of an amour next to the door and was about to leave his chambers. But he suddenly remembered something so he spun around to face his servant.

"Oh, and Merlin, before you leave my chambers make sure all the windows are open so the smell of what ever Gaius smeared on you won't retain in here.", Arthur said and left his chambers.

"Ah, yeah, sure.", Merlin said as his cheeks turned red.

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The Crown Prince marched across the courtyard towards the castle gates. The training grounds were right behind the walls of the palace in the southern section. While walking he took note on a delicate fragrance in the air. He inhaled deeply taking in the soft sweet sent. It helped clear up his nose from what remained of Merlin's stench. Arthur also noticed how pleasant the atmosphere was that day, people he passed by were in a cheerful mood wearing smiles across their faces.

When he got out side of the palace walls and turned to a dirt path leading to the training grounds, and he found where the sweet smelling fragrance was coming from. Rows of Magnolia trees lined the side of the road. The trees were grandly crowned with yellow blooms. And beneath one of the trees stood a woman who to Arthur was more regally beautiful than any flower or tree.

Arthur watched as Guinevere extended her arm to reach for the blooms on the branches. After picking a flower she placed it inside a basket that was slung on her other arm. Gwen wasn't aware that Arthur was a few feet away from behind her. He noticed that her long wavy hair was pulled back and elegantly adorned with small blossoms, it made her look like a princess. Her lavender dress flowed into the gentle breeze. The Prince stared at the girl, so absorbed and amused was he to her grace. A small curve rested on his lips as his heart lolled at the sight of her. He could stand there the whole day just watching the maidservant pick flowers.

Then Arthur's heart sank, he soon realized that the only woman he ever cared about was a lowly servant, someone that his father will never approve of. His blue eyes looked away as he shifted his sight on the ground.

"Arthur."

The prince looked up in attention to her call. Gwen approached him with an adoring smile, his heart skipped a beat. Her cheeks had a hint of red. Arthur felt his ears burned hot. He tried to be coherent and spoke.

"Ah, good morning, Gwen."

"Good morning to you too, my lord." Gwen greeted, "I see that you're up to the training grounds?"

Arthur charmingly smiled, "Yes, I was, until I saw you picking flowers."

Gwen looked at her flower filled basket, "I'm taking these to Lady Morgana's chambers. She loves the smell of Magnolia flowers in the summer."

Arthur frowned. It had been months since Morgana vanished, yet her loyal and loving maidservant still brought flowers to her chambers.

"I know what you're thinking.", Gwen said, "I just . . . want to be optimistic that my lady will return."

Arthur could see the sadness in Gwen's eyes.

"I know how much you missed her. We all do," he said.

"Yes, I do miss her. It's just that, I can't help but worry about her. Where could she be right now?"

A blanket of sadness seemed to have enveloped them both.

"She's a strong woman," Arthur assured Gwen, "Where ever she is right now, I know she's going to be alright."

Gwen gave a weak smile, "Gaius told me that too."

There was a short silence between them. Gwen was the first to speak.

"So, I think I better go inside now. Have a nice day at training, sire."

Arthur nodded, "You too, Gwen."

Gwen smiled at Arthur then went of to the palace gates.

As the Prince watched Gwen walk away his mind fell into deep thought. He suddenly remembered his adopted sister. Morgana loved this particular time of the summer season when the Magnolia trees were in full bloom. When they were young, Morgana would make a garland of the Magnolia flowers and gave them to Uther, which the king gladly accepts. Now Morgana's gone and missing, kidnapped by sorceress Morgause. All the people in Camelot were worried for her, especially King Uther, who blamed himself for Morgana's disappearance.

But deep inside Arthur he felt that he was the one to blame for what happened to Morgana. He could have done so much more to protect her if it weren't for the Knights of Medhir who kept him away from her. The only awake person she was with at that time was Merlin, and what could his clumsy, sleepy, stick of a servant ever do to protect the Lady against a powerful sorceress. It was indeed a hopeless situation. Now she's gone and it was entirely his fault.

Arthur tried to shake off his melancholy because he had knights to train, he doesn't want them to see him like this.

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When Arthur reached the training grounds he saw Sir Leon with the knights awaiting him.

"Good morning sire." Sir Leon greeted the Prince as he made a respectful bow.

As soon as the ten newly recruited knights saw the Prince all of them bowed down in respect. They were holding long wooden staffs as part of their training for the day.

"Good morning Sir Leon, are our new knights ready for training?"

"They're up and ready sire." Sir Leon looked behind the Prince, "I noticed you don't have Merlin with you today."

Truthfully Sir Leon had grown fond of Arthur's lanky servant. Merlin had shown extraordinary bravery and loyalty when he went with them to face the Great Dragon. To Leon, the boy was as courageous as any other knight. And to think Merlin was just a servant who didn't even carry any weapon nor wore any armor. What was more astonishing was Merlin's one of the lucky survivors, and he was the only conscious witness to the dragon's death when it was slain by Arthur (as far as Arthur and the other knights knew, the dragon _was_ dead). Out of the fourteen men who face the dragon, only six survived. Because of that Merlin gained Sir Leon's respect and since then the knight befriended the boy.

"I left Merlin to clean my room." Arthur said, "Don't worry I can manage. I don't need him for today's training."

The windows of Arthur's chambers were visible from the training ground. Arthur gazed upon it knowing Merlin was up there doing his chores.

"If you need any assistance Sire, please let me know.", Sir Leon offered.

Arthur turned his gaze at the knight, "Of course Leon, thanks. Shall we proceed?"

Sir Leon gave another bow and let Arthur lead the way to the knights.

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Merlin was almost finished cleaning Arthur's chambers. For the past three years that he had worked for the Crown Prince Merlin still couldn't believe that one man could make such a mess in a day. Arthur would toss his used clothes, armor or boots on the floor, on tables, on chairs, hung them on candle stands, anywhere. Merlin compared Arthur to a molting snake that leaves its old skin behind not caring where it left it. So the servant picked the clothes one by one with some strain on his back for he had to bend over to reach them on the floor. After that he swept and mopped the floors, dusted the furniture and cleared the table after Arthur had his breakfast. The next thing that he was about to do was to clean the fireplace.

As Merlin took a step towards the hearth he felt his balance shifted, he staggered a bit but his leg caught his balance. He abruptly felt dizzy and weak. He leaned his back against a column post. He was sweating and panting, and it wasn't even that hot yet.

Then he felt a tug at the pit of his stomach. His blue eyes turned burning gold. Merlin panicked.

"Oh no. . ."

From the depths of his inner core he felt a surge of power coming out of him like an open floodgate. Merlin could feel the rush of power emanating from him.

Suddenly things from inside Arthur's chambers started to take flight. He stood in the middle of the room watching the floating objects go around him. But unlike the incident in his room, Arthur's things were spinning much faster. A whirlwind took them up and spun them in circles. There were also lots of things inside the chambers that proved to be deadly, like Arthur's collection of weapons. If one of those swords, spears or axes hit him he'll be a goner for sure. The whirlwind made a howling sound.

He lifted his hands as he tried to stop the whirlwind with his magic, but he couldn't control it. He muttered spell after spell but nothing happened.

"No, No, No, stop! Stop!"

But the power surge didn't stop as it grew stronger and stronger within him. He held both his hands on the sides of his head, closing his eyes tightly as he tried hard to concentrate regaining his control. The strain was taking a toll on his mind and body, his nose began to bleed.

It was too much for him to bear, as if he was being pulled from every direction. The young warlock could not contain the surge anymore. Merlin let out a gut-wrenching scream.

_"Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"_

Like a bursting dam his power exploded outward_, _its force shattered the windows and blasted the doors wide open. The whirlwind disintegrated from the force of the explosion sending all the objects it held hurling at every direction hitting the walls and furniture.

Then, there was silence.

Merlin slowly opened his eyes, and they were blue again. He looked around and saw the aftermath of what he had done.

"Arthur's really going to kill me for trashing his chambers." Merlin said to himself.

After he had released so much power Merlin began to weaken.

His knees buckled and collapsed face down on the floor.

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_**Thanks for reading. Please review. I'll update soon.**_


	3. Chapter 3 Witness

_**A/N: Wow, thank you so much for the great reviews on the previews chapter. And to those who added me to their Story Alerts and Favorite Stories, you guys rock my world! **_

_**I hope you guys will like this. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: BBC owns the rights to the show. I don't get paid for writing this. I only write for fun.**_

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**CHAPTER 3**

**WITNESS**

Arthur and the knights were startled. They were in the middle of their training session when all of the sudden the windows of Arthur's chambers exploded. The Prince twisted towards the source of the noise. He saw shards of colorful glinting glass shooting outward from the casements and falling onto the courtyard. The Prince could have sworn he heard a scream before the blast. Then it suddenly dawned on him the familiar voice behind the scream.

Arthur's eyes widen, "Merlin!"

Arthur ran towards the castle while Sir Leon and the other knights trailed after him. The Prince's heart pounded hard fearing so much for the fate of Camelot and his servant.

_This can't be happening,_ he thought.

The kingdom had just recovered from the Dragon's attack, and now a new impending danger was looming upon them. He also thought of Merlin, that bumpkin couldn't seem to get himself out of trouble even in the safety of Arthur's chambers. But the Prince felt bothered, this sort of trouble couldn't have been caused by the clumsy acts of his servant. It can only mean one thing, Merlin was in _real_ mortal danger, and Arthur hoped he wasn't too late to save him.

When he got to the courtyard he saw people gathered looking up at the broken windows. A guard and a maidservant unfortunately were under the path of the falling shards of glass. The girl had scratches and cuts, but the guard was far more wounded for a big piece of blue colored glass had impaled his arm. Other servants came to their aid. The Prince ordered some of the knights to help the wounded.

Arthur sped up the flight of stairs widening his strides so he could get to the scene much faster. When he got to the hallway leading to his chambers he saw a group of royal guards already in front of the oak doors but none of them dared to enter. A few feet from the group two guards were bent down to assist another unfortunate bystander, one of the menservants of the royal household. The prince knew the young fellow, he had been Arthur's servant before Merlin came along. He thought his name was Harvey, but he wasn't exactly sure because Arthur kept changing servants all the time. Merlin was the only servant he had who lasted with him for so long. Harvey was on the floor with his head badly wounded. The guards helped the injured servant stand up and carried him to the infirmary.

When Arthur and Sir Leon reached the chambers' entrance they noticed that the doors were wide open and one of the panels was almost taken off from its hinges.

"The explosion might have thrown the doors open and knocked the servant while he was walking pass the hall." Sir Leon said to the Prince.

Arthur examined the doors, "Yes, it could be. But what could have caused the explosion?"

The Prince paused at the entrance. He was in complete shock on what he saw.

"What the hell happened to my chambers?"

The room was a disaster. Everything was out of place, out of proportion, and cluttered on the floor. As if a great war had erupted there a few minutes ago and left an immense devastation. The canopy of Arthur's bed collapsed on the mattress, two of the posts of the bed were bent like toothpicks. His collections of weapons were dangerously scattered. The plaster of the ceiling and walls were cracking and flaking off. All of the windows were shattered. Arthur was still auditing the damages to his room with his eyes when Sir Leon cried out.

"Sire, look!" The knight pointed to a pair of legs with ragged brown boots sticking out from behind the dividing wall.

They both bolted inside the room and saw Merlin's limp body sprawled on the floor faced down. Arthur knelt beside his servant and rolled him over to get a better look at his condition. The Prince saw a trickle of blood coming out of Merlin's right nostril. He looked so pale, paler than he was when Arthur saw him that morning. The Prince then placed his ear on the boy's chest, he heard a faint heartbeat and Merlin was breathing shallowly. Arthur examined Merlin's torso if he had any other injuries but he couldn't find any, this gave the Prince some relief.

But Merlin's condition just brought more questions in Arthur's mind. How the hell did Merlin survive, well barely, in such an explosion? It could have ripped the boy's body into pieces especially that he's in such close proximity to the source. But where was the source? There's no trace or evidence that something exploded. No fire and no smoke that would indicate the precise location of the blast. And if there _was_ a source, how did it get to his chambers in the first place? Arthur was getting frustrated, nothing seemed to add up. Not unless sorcery was involve. But Arthur didn't want to get to that conclusion just yet, there must be another explanation. Merlin was the only witness to what had happened. It's he whom Arthur should get his answers.

"Merlin, Merlin, wake up! What happen to you? What happened to my room? Merlin!" Arthur yelled while shaking his servant.

Merlin was so out-cold. Arthur couldn't wake him no matter how much shaking he was doing to the boy.

"Sire it's no use, we have to get him to Gaius." Leon suggested.

Arthur nodded in agreement and unceremoniously lifted Merlin on his shoulder and stood up.

"My lord, let me carry him for you." Sir Leon offered but the Prince ignored him and started walking towards the door.

* * *

Merlin maybe skinny but he was not light, as Arthur realized. He was staggering a little in the hallways as he carried his servant upon his shoulder. Sir Leon was right behind him if incase the Prince needed any help. But surely Arthur intended to carry Merlin all the way to the physician's chambers by himself. He felt that it was his duty to do so as Merlin's master . . . and friend.

Arthur couldn't say it out loud but in truth he already considered Merlin as a friend. Their relationship had grown beyond the status quo of just being master and servant. Though they conceal their bond with teasing and banter, yet they cared for each other that they saved each others _backsides_ many times. Arthur will never forget that day when Merlin persisted that he would go with him in facing the Great Dragon. The Prince was grateful for that and it gave Arthur a whole new perspective about his servant. Merlin maybe clumsy, tardy, annoying and idiotic at times, but he was good, trust-worthy, loyal and faithful, and does a darn good job in polishing his armor. Arthur couldn't afford to loss a servant, and friend, like Merlin.

The Prince and the knight reached Gaius' chamber doors with the cataleptic servant. Not waiting for Leon to open the door Arthur kicked it hard startling the physician, Gwen and the patients inside.

"Oh, my! What happened to Merlin?" Gwen said concerned. She was helping Gaius in taking care of the people who were hurt by the blast.

Arthur almost ran towards the physician.

"Gaius . . . it's Merlin. Something's wrong with him," he said panting.

"Let's bring him inside." The physician ushered the Prince to Merlin's room.

As soon as Gaius opened the door Arthur rushed inside and gingerly laid Merlin on the bed then stepped back for Gaius to examine the boy. It was a good thing Gaius cleared Merlin's room a bit. It wasn't as chaotic as it was that morning, but it was still a mess like it would have been any other day. Gaius felt Merlin's brow to check his temperature, he was cold yet his hair was wet with sweat. Then the physician pried Merlin's eyelids, his eyes were rolled back but at least they're not glowing gold. He also checked for Merlin's pulse, it was weak but in a normal rate. Then Gaius noticed Merlin's nose had a trickle of dried blood. Gwen came in with a bowl of water and a towel and placed the bowl on the bed side table. Gaius deep the towel in the water, ringed it and started dabbing on Merlin's face. He carefully wiped the dried blood off the boy's nose.

"Arthur, how did he get hurt?" Gwen said frantic.

Arthur was still a bit stunned, "He was inside my chambers when the blast took place."

Gwen was horrified, "Gaius, is he going to be alright?"

Gaius didn't know what to say. But he knew for sure that Merlin was the cause of the explosion. But whatever happened it seemed to have drained the life out of the boy which made him weak and frail. The physician wasn't sure if Merlin had any internal injuries. He hoped that the blood on the boy's nose wasn't caused by a blow to the head. Gaius started to blame himself. He shouldn't have let Merlin go to work that morning, he should have kept a close watch on him. Merlin was right to worry that the incident that morning could come about again, only Gaius didn't expect it to be much, much worse than just merely levitating.

Gaius stood up while his worried eyes were fixed on his ward, "I'll get Merlin a tonic that might help get his strength back. But as for his condition of the moment, I'm not sure what to make of him."

Gwen and Arthur exchanged anxious glances.

Suddenly Arthur heard his father's voice booming in the other room.

"Arthur!" King Uther bellowed.

The Prince complied with Uther's call by coming out of Merlin's room. Gaius followed while Gwen stayed behind to tend Merlin.

"Arthur, I saw your chambers. What happened? Are you alright?" Uther said anxiously.

"I'm fine, father. I was outside training with the knights when the explosion occurred. But these people were hurt from the blast." Arthur pointed to the injured.

Uther studied the invalids. The royal guard who had bandages on his right arm caused by an impaled blue glass, the maidservant who had cuts and scratches on her face and arms, and the manservant, Harvey, who laid on a cot with a bandage around his wounded head.

"Are they the only ones hurt?" Uther asked.

Arthur gave out an audible sigh, "Merlin was inside my chambers when the explosion happened."

Uther turned his eyes to his son surprised, "Really, how is he?"

"He's in terrible shape father. He was unconscious when Leon and I found him inside."

Uther was bemused, "You're telling me that your servant is still alive."

"Barely. Gaius couldn't figure out his condition as of the moment." Arthur said.

The King began to pace back and forth, "Do you keep anything explosive inside your chambers?"

"None at all, father. If I _do_ have anything explosive in hand I wouldn't keep it inside my own chambers. That would be utterly absurd."

Uther turned to his long time adviser, "What do you think Gaius?"

"If Arthur said he never kept anything explosive inside his chambers then someone must have put it there." Gaius said and bit his tongue. Above all things that the old man hated to do was lying to the king. But he needed to cover up for Merlin. The boy's life was at stake.

"But I didn't see any evidence that an explosive was planted in my chambers." Arthur said.

The room fell silent for a moment as the King and the Prince contemplated for a probable explanation.

Then Harvey, the manservant, spoke out, "I . . . I think I know what happened, my lord."

Uther and Arthur twirled when they heard the servant behind them. Harvey was setting on the cot with his hand on his head.

Gaius was troubled. There's a witness to the event. Could this be it, the moment for Merlin's secret to be revealed? The Physician tried to keep his composure as he braced himself for the onslaught.

"Speak up young man, what did you see?" Uther ordered.

Harvey felt intimidated. The two most powerful men in Camelot stood in front of him to hear his account. He wished he had kept his mouth shut. But if his information proved to be vital he must speak up.

The manservant gulped and spoke, "I was just passing by the Prince's chambers when I heard a sort of howling sound, like wind, behind the door. I found it strange that a sound like that could ever come from inside. Then out of curiosity I peeked in at the slightly opened door." Harvey paused to catch his breath, "Then I saw . . . a whirlwind inside the chambers."

Arthur raised his eyebrows, "A whirlwind you say?"

"Yes, sire." Harvey said, "All the things inside were carried by the whirlwind and was spinning around the room. Then I saw Merlin, he was in the middle of the whirlwind."

The King and the Prince looked at each other puzzled. Gaius was internally freaking out. He prayed that the two royalties wouldn't suspect his adopted son for the whirlwind.

"There's something else, sire." Harvey said catching their attention once more.

Harvey let out a breath that he was holding, "I think there was somebody other than Merlin inside the chambers."

Uther, Arthur and Gaius displayed astounded expressions.

"What made you think that? Did you see who it was?" Arthur questioned.

Harvey answered with a quiver of fear, "No, my lord. I couldn't see who it was because the dividing wall was blocking my view. But I could hear Merlin say, 'No, no, stop, stop!', as if Merlin was stopping someone from whatever that person was doing to him. And I saw Merlin's expression. He looked . . . pained and tormented."

Arthur's face paled, he tried to imagine Merlin being in pain and in torment. The thought disturbed for the Prince.

"Then I heard him scream," Harvey continued, "after which the door exploded on me, and I was knocked unconscious."

Uther looked at his son with resolved eyes, "This can only mean one thing," he said, "a sorcerer attacked your servant."

Arthur doubted, "Why would anyone attack Merlin? Why would a sorcerer take interest on a servant? That doesn't make any sense."

Uther thought for a moment and spoke, "The sorcerer might have meant to attack _you_ in your chambers. But instead he found your servant."

Arthur was taken aback by his father's conclusion. He couldn't seem to accept that another sorcerer was trying to kill him again.

"Father, there must be another explanation for this." Arthur said.

"Then what other explanation could you give me Arthur?" Uther snapped, "Who else could conjure a whirlwind inside a closed room, who else can create such an explosion? This is definitely the work of magic."

"But Harvey said he didn't even see the other person inside." Arthur said, "Who knows what it could have been."

"Not unless you want to think that it was your servant who summoned the whirlwind and caused the explosion." The King challenged, "Merlin could be a sorcerer for all we know."

Gaius' heart was beating so hard, yet he still kept his composure.

Arthur gagged, "Merlin, a sorcerer? That can't be. We all know he's no sorcerer, right Gaius?"

The Prince glanced at Gaius waiting for the physician to back him up. Gaius simply nodded in agreement.

Then Arthur looked at Uther with confidence and sincerity, "I have absolute trust in Merlin, father. I don't believe that he's responsible for the incident."

"Then there's no need for us to further dispute on this. We must take action." Uther said with finality and motioned Sir Leon, "I want every suspected sorcerer to be arrested. This sort of attack in my royal household, especially to the Crown Prince, is an act of treason. I will not tolerate such an outrage."

"Yes, your majesty." Sir Leon bowed then toddled towards the door to carry out the king's orders.

Uther turned to Gaius,"See to it that these people are well cared for. Specially the young servant." the king was pertaining to Harvey.

"Yes, my lord." Gaius said.

Uther laid his hand on his son's shoulder, "I will be in the throne room if you need me Arthur."

Arthur nodded, "Yes, father."

The King pivoted towards the door and swiftly walked away.

* * *

After they were treated from their injuries, the guard and the two servants were allow to go. Arthur, Gwen and Gaius were left waiting for Merlin's condition to change.

Arthur leaned beside a window viewing the broken casements of his chambers from across the courtyard. A lot of thoughts were running within his mind. His father had made so many of enemies because of his hatred of magic and Arthur felt he was paying the price for that. Another sorcerer wanted to kill him. To the Prince, it's alright if he's the only one who gets hurt in the process. But a lot of people, especially the people he cared about, also get hurt. Like the three who were injured by the blast, and Merlin. He made a pledge to himself that when he becomes king he will try to change that situation for everyone's safely.

Gwen and Gaius sat on the dinner table as each cradled a cup of hot tea in their hands. Gaius was so relieved. He didn't expect that the manservant's account of the incident had turn to Merlin's favor. Although he felt sorry that someone else had to take the blame for what happened. The king had already organized a witch hunt.

The sun had already set yet Merlin was still in an unconscious state and they're beginning to worry. Gaius had done everything he could for his ward, and all they could do was to wait.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get that." Gaius said while he stood up and strolled towards the entrance.

The physician opened the door. He froze and was stunned to see who it was.

"Hunith?"

Merlin's mother greeted her brother with a smile and a bear hug, "Hello, Gaius! It's so nice to see you again."

Gaius tensed. This was not a timely visit, "Ah, it's . . . nice to see you too. What a surprise. What brings you here?"

Hunith pulled back, there was a glint of excitement in her eyes, "Well, I came to visit my son and wish him a happy birthday."

Gaius was astounded, "Merlin's birthday?"

"Yes Gaius. Didn't he tell you?"

Gaius shook his head, "No, he didn't."

Hunith smiled, she thought her son was being modest about not telling anybody about his birthday.

"Actually, Merlin just turned twenty-one. He has come of age, that's why I'm here." Hunith said gleefully.

Gaius' lower jaw dropped as realization sank into him. Arthur and Gwen glanced at each other perplexed. Hunith noticed everybody in the room have grave expressions on their face. Her motherly intuition kicked in and she suddenly became fretful.

"Gaius, where's Merlin? What happened to him? Is there something wrong?"

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	4. Chapter 4 Message

_**A/N: Here I am again! Thank you guys for the reviews on the previous chapter. So glad you liked it. Also like to thank those who added me to their Story Alerts and Favorite Stories.**_

_**By the way, I would like to apologize if you get Story Alerts for chapter 3 frequently. I thought I was having problems with uploading that chapter so I kept reposting it. But it turned out it was my computer that has the problem. So sorry about that guys. I'm still learning how to use this site. **_

_**And I'm also sorry for the long wait. I was targeting on finishing a chapter every week but other things in my life got the better of me. **_

_**Anyway, I hope you will like this next chapter. Enjoy!**_

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**CHAPTER 4**

**MESSAGE**

Hunith sat on a low stool beside Merlin's bed. Her face was filled with worry and despair as she gazed upon her unconscious son. Merlin laid motionless and lifeless. The slow rising and descending of his chest was the only indication that he was still alive. Hunith stroke her hand across Merlin's raven hair. She took her son's hand and placed in on her cheek. She made a gentle rocking movement as if she was cradling Merlin to sleep, just like when he was a little boy. A silent tear trickled down to her cheek.

Gaius stood behind Hunith while watching both mother and son. It was heartbreaking for him to see this moment. They could have been happy for Merlin's coming of age. They could have gone out and celebrated the occasion along with Merlin's friends. It could have been momentous for the young warlock. Merlin was no longer a boy, he had transcended into manhood. Gaius remembered how reckless, childish and foolish Merlin was before, and he had changed so much since then. The experiences Merlin gained in Camelot made him more responsible, mature and wise especially when it comes to his magic. His coming of age would have been a fitting tribute. But there he was, inert on his bed, as his mother wept and worried for him. All because of Merlin's unexplainable magical fits.

Gaius suddenly remembered his later epiphany. When Hunith said about Merlin's coming of age, an out pouring of ideas came rushing into his head. Could it be that the incidents that were happening to Merlin have a connection with his coming of age? And could it be that other sorcerers go through the same thing during this transition? Gaius he was just starting to learn magic when he was the same age as Merlin's. He hadn't experienced anything like what happened to the young man when he himself turned twenty-one. So possibly, not all sorcerers go through the same stage. And what could this mean for the young warlock? Surely there must be a purpose for all that was happening to him. Merlin has a great destiny to fulfill and his coming of age could be a part of it.

There were still many questions that Gaius couldn't answer. Though he had many years of experience in the magical arts, none of his knowledge could solidify his conclusions. Merlin's coming of age was beginning to be a mystery to him. For once Gaius had wished the Great Dragon, Kilgharrah, was there to provide them with some information. The dragon seemed to know everything. But perhaps Gaius could get his answers from Merlin himself when he wakes up, _if_ he wakes up. The physician was still uncertain of the young man's status. Although Merlin had more color on his skin than he had a few hours ago, it wasn't a sure sign that he was getting better.

The physician had told Hunith a part of what had happened, he couldn't tell the whole and real story of the incident since Arthur and Gwen were still in the vicinity and they might over hear their conversation. Gaius will explain everything to Hunith later when the youngsters were gone.

"We're doing the best we can for Merlin, Hunith." Gaius said comforting her.

Hunith looked up to the physician. Though her eyes were glassy and wet she managed to give her brother a smile. "I know that Gaius. You've always had done so much for him. And I can't thank you enough for that."

Gaius patted his sister's shoulder, "I'll be outside if you need anything."

Hunith nodded and Gaius turned quietly towards the door.

On the foot of the short stairway leading to Merlin's room stood Arthur and Gwen both showing concern countenances. Gaius closed the door behind him and glanced at the Prince and the maidservant with weary eyes.

Gaius sighed, "Well, this was very unexpected."

"You can say that again," Arthur agreed, "It's one thing for Merlin to be in the brink of death on his birthday, it's another thing for Hunith to give a surprise visit and see her son like this."

"Poor Hunith," Gwen said, "She came all the way from Ealdor to see Merlin for his coming of age, and this is what she comes upon."

"Did Merlin told either of you that today is his birthday?" Gaius asked.

Gwen shook her head, "No, did he ever tell you?"

"No, he didn't." Gaius said creasing his forehead, "He might have forgotten about it."

Arthur smirked, "Leave it to Merlin to be forgetful. He couldn't even remember all the chores I have lined up for him in a day."

Gwen fired a glare towards Arthur with her arms crossed on her chest, "Well, I reckon you're giving him too many chores to do that he can't remember everything. He must have been too pre-occupied with his work load that Merlin forgot that he has a life."

"Does he have a life?" Arthur said wryly.

Gwen gave the Prince a piercing look, "You are not the center of Merlin's universe, Arthur Pendragon."

The Prince rolled his eyes, "Okay, okay. So maybe I was giving him too many chores, but I gave him a day off today because of his annoying back problem."

"Well, that was very generous of you." Gwen said in a sardonic tone.

While Gaius watched the pair, he found their squabble rather amusing. Besides Morgana, Gwen was the only woman that Gaius saw who could defy The Prince. And somehow Arthur's defenses seem to crumble down every time Gwen made him see her point of view of things. The two noticed the old man was gazing at them with scrutiny. They suddenly took interest in the interior of the room as they roam their eyes around feeling awkward.

Then there was a sudden rapid knock on the door.

"Come in." Gaius said.

The door opened and in came a royal guard, "Sire, the king requests your presence in his chambers."

"Alright. I'll be right over." Arthur said and turned to Gaius, "Let me know if Merlin's has regain consciousness. I would like to question him about his account of the explosion."

"Yes, sire. I will inform you immediately as soon as he awakes." The physician said.

When Arthur was about to leave he noticed Gwen was in deep thought, "Aren't you going home too, Gwen?"

Gwen snapped and darted her eyes to Arthur, "Just a moment." Then she turned to the physician, "Gaius, may I borrow one of Merlin's jackets?"

Gaius arched an eyebrow dubiously, what would Gwen want with Merlin's jacket? The physician remembered seeing one of the boy's jackets lying around his work area. Merlin only had two of them, a battered brown one and a reddish-brown one. Gaius found the reddish-brown jacket hanged over the backrest of a chair and handed it to the maidservant.

"What are you going to do with that Gwen?" Gaius asked.

"You'll see. It's something I've been thinking of doing for Merlin. I guess this is the best time to do so. Please let us know when he awakes."

Gaius nodded. Gwen then followed Arthur to the door.

* * *

Arthur reached the wooden doors of king's chambers. What could his father possibly want with him at that time? The Prince knocked.

"Enter." Uther said behind the door.

Arthur came in and saw the king seating on a comfortable chair near the fireplace with a chalice on hand. It was already dark outside but the room was lit by the glowing fire from the hearth. Arthur walked closer to his father's side.

"You summoned me father?" The Prince said.

Uther was examining the engraved designs on his metal chalice that was filled with wine, "You've been in your servant's quarters the whole afternoon, haven't you?"

"Yes, I have." Arthur truthfully said, "I waited to see if Merlin's condition would change. Apparently his situation didn't change much."

Uther gave out a sigh, "Should you be doing your other duties besides watching your half-dead servant, like helping out in searching for the sorcerer who tried to kill you in your chambers?"

"You already gave the orders to Sir Leon, didn't you?"

"But does that give you an excuse for not being involved in the witch hunt?"

"I'm always involved, father. I'm involved at anything that concerns the safety of Camelot."

The king sprang from his seat and retorted, "Then why were you sulking over your servant instead of looking after the safety of the kingdom?"

Arthur was taken aback, "I'm _not_ sulking over Merlin, father. But of course I'm also worried about his condition. The other reason why I stayed at Gaius's chambers is if Merlin had the chance to wake up I would have questioned him about the incident in my chambers. It could help us find the sorcerer."

Uther scoffed, "You care too much about that servant, Arthur. Servants are dispensable. And don't give me your reason that Merlin had saved your life many times. I am aware of that. But so do the knights and guards of Camelot who are willing to give their lives for you."

"But Merlin is neither a knight nor a royal guard. He never made an oath to give his life for me like the knights did. Yet his loyalty is unbounded, he would go anywhere with me battling sorcerers, magical creatures, dead knights and a fearsome dragon. He knew the dangers that we might encounter along the way, yet he stood by my side faithfully." Arthur paused as he tried to catch his breath from his exasperation. He calmed down and looked at his father straight in the eyes, "If you would find a servant who is very loyal to you, would you do anything to keep him? Would you do anything_ for_ him?"

Uther studied his son closely, "I see you feel strongly about Merlin."

Arthur didn't answer. He couldn't even believe himself that actually said those things to his father.

Uther placed his hand on his son's shoulder, "I understand how close you are to Merlin. I've seen that between Morgana and her maidservant. But you should understand, as the future king of Camelot, that you must subdue this sort of emotions towards your subordinates. This sort of behavior can ruin you and your enemies can use that against you."

Arthur totally disagreed with what his father said. But instead of arguing he kept his mouth shut. He doesn't want to start a heated debate about this subject. He and his father were different. Arthur cared so much about his people. What his father said maybe true in some way but Arthur thought of it as being callous, and he can never bring himself to be like that, not to the people of Camelot, not to his subordinates.

"Is that all father?" Arthur said dryly.

"No, there's something else."

"Then what else, sire?"

With that Uther inhaled deeply to give force on what he was about to say.

"From this day forward, Merlin will no longer be your servant."

Arthur's eyes widen in shock, "What! Father you can't do that. I'm his master. I'm the one who has the right to sack him."

Uther scowled at his son, "I am your king and your father! I have every right to know who you should be with. And from what I've seen you're becoming too attached with Merlin that it clouds your better judgement. And may I remind you that I made him your servant as a reward for saving your life. I _do_ have every right to sack him because _I_ was the one who hired him."

Arthur couldn't speak. He left his jaw hang in disbelief. He thought telling his father about Merlin's loyalty would impress and please the king, but instead Uther decided to sack his servant. That was so unfair.

"I will assign a new servant for you in the morning. You may take what ever room you want to stay in for the next few days until your chambers is restored. You may go now."

Uther sat back on the chair next to the fireplace. But Arthur remained standing in place as he glared at his father.

The Prince wanted to confront his father more but he knew it will only make matters worse if he did. He will surely deal with this again when his father was less hot headed. With that, Arthur left Uther's chambers with a new resolution; He will do everything he can to get Merlin back to being his servant.

* * *

Merlin was sure that he was dreaming. He was certain of this because of two simple reasons. First, he never owned, and never wore, a pristine white tunic and white trousers. Wearing such bright clothes made him look paler. And also it wasn't practical to wear, particularly for a servant like him who mucks out stables for a living. And second, he never goes out barefoot, especially in the middle of a forest. And yet he was clad in white clothes and his feet were open to the elements. He was walking slowly as he followed a dirt path that was taking him deeper and deeper into the woods.

This was such a convincing dream though, everything seemed so real. Merlin could see the light of the sun shining above the forest canopy, he could smell the fresh misty sent of foliage surrounding him, he could hear the wrestle of the wind against the leaves of trees, and he could feel the grass, pebbles and dirt on the soles of his feet.

Merlin thought of another conclusion to what he was experiencing. Maybe he was in Avalon, maybe he was dead. The surge of power that emanated out of him in Arthur's chambers might have killed him. But, was Avalon a forest? Merlin wasn't exactly sure. No living person had gone to Avalon and returned to tell what it looked like.

As Merlin pushed himself deeper into the forest he didn't felt any fear, but instead he felt peaceful and calm. It was something that he hadn't felt for a long time. He didn't know how he got there, and it wasn't clear to him where he was going. Yet his senses seemed to tell him to follow the path.

After walking for some time, he had reached the end of the trail. And right before his eyes was a lake in the middle of a clearing. The place was surrounded by woodland trees and wild flowers. Over looking the lake and trees were the white mountains.

Merlin knew the place very well, he had been there a couple of times. The lake triggered a lot of his memories. It was the lake where he saved Arthur from drowning when he was being offered as a sacrifice to the Sidhes by Sophia and Aulfric. It was also the same lake where he sank the sword that the Great Dragon had burnished. And it was also the lake where he laid his beloved Freya to rest. It was the Lake of Avalon.

As the young warlock stood at the edge of the lake and took in the view of the place, an overwhelming tranquility filled his heart and soul. He wanted to stay there forever, faraway from the burdens and responsibilities of fulfilling his destiny, and faraway from fear and pain. But of course Merlin thought of the people who needed him: Hunith, Gaius, Gwen and Arthur and the whole of Camelot as well. He just couldn't leave them, not now, not yet. But what if he was dead, what if his life had abruptly ended? Then the destiny that he and Arthur were meant to share will be only a distant dream. Somehow Merlin didn't want to accept that. It had become his life's quest to fulfill that destiny. He hoped that this was all just a dream and he'll wakes up very soon.

As he was musing in the side of the lake he suddenly noticed a shrub quivered at the corner of his eye. Startled, he gawked at the shaking bush. There was something behind it. Merlin took two steps backward as he was being cautious to what it could be. And then all his fears melted away when he saw what it was.

Emerging from behind the shrub was a pure white unicorn. Its body appeared sturdy as a stallion and its fur and mane were white as snow. The single straight horn on its forehead was its crown and glory. The unicorn was staring at him, as if it had some kind of knowing.

Merlin's eyes widen, it was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Though he had already seen one before - the one that Arthur killed and had paid dearly for it - Merlin still couldn't get enough of its beauty. He was about several feet away from the creature. Carefully, as not to frighten the animal, the boy inched himself closer. When he was about an arms length from the unicorn he wanted to reach out and touch it. He was about to extended his hand when out of the blue he heard a female like voice in his head.

"_Hello, Merlin. We meet again."_

Merlin was stunned. He looked around to see if there was somebody else in the clearing, but no one was there. He soon understood that the voice came from the unicorn. It was speaking to him through his mind.

Merlin gazed upon the creature and recognized its features. It resembled the unicorn he and Arthur found in the forest. But what astounded Merlin the most was that the unicorn knew his name.

"_You know me." _Merlin said. He was also using his mind to speak to the creature.

"_Yes I do know you." _the unicorn said,_ "You were the one who tried to warn me when your master wanted to kill me, and it was you who shed tears for me when I was dying. You have such a pure and good heart." _

Merlin smiled, the unicorn did know him.

Then he asked a crucial question_, "Am I . . . dead? Am I in Avalon_?"

The unicorn spoke,_ "No, you are not dead and you are not in Avalon. You are still alive young warlock. You are merely asleep."_

Merlin was flabbergasted, _"You . . . you know I have magic?"_

The unicorn shuffled a hoof on the ground, "_Ever since we met, Marlin, because we are both creatures of magic. I sensed that you have the powers of the old religion. "_

Merlin was in wonder, he never realized that other creatures of magic could sense each others power. How come he hadn't sensed that in other users of magic before? Maybe it's an acquired ability, and the unicorn definitely has it.

"_Why am I here?" _He asked.

"_You were brought here to rest and to heal. You will need your strength for the task ahead. You will rejoin the land of the living shortly."_

Merlin's face brighten with the news, _"So, I'll be waking up very soon?"_

"_Yes Merlin. But before you awake, I have a message for you."_

"_A message?" _Merlin said, baffled.

The unicorn shook its mane and placed its gaze back to the boy,_ "You must go to the part of the forest where you first saw me. There you will find my keeper, Anhora. He wishes to speak to you."_

"_Anhora?" _Merlin remembered the keeper of the unicorns.

When Arthur killed the creature it brought a curse to Camelot. In order for the curse to be lifted Anhora gave Arthur tests to prove that the Prince was pure in heart. Arthur failed the second test but Merlin convinced Anhora to give him another try. Eventually Arthur was successful in past the test by proving that he was willing to die for Merlin. Hence the Prince had shown to be pure in heart and the curse in Camelot was lifted.

"_Why does he want to speak to me?" _Merlin questioned.

"_It concerns about the events that happened to you. You will know what it is when you finally meet my keeper."_

"_When will I wake up?" _He said. He wanted to get out of the dream so he could go to Anhora at once.

"_You will be awaking soon young warlock." _the unicorn turned around and faced the forest,_ "Until we meet again." _The unicorn galloped away into the woods and disappeared into the trees. Merlin stared at the creature, the unicorn trailed off so fast that he didn't even had the chance to say thanks.

Shortly after his conversation with the unicorn Merlin's vision slowly filled with brightness.

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_**Thanks for reading. Please review. I'll try to update as soon as I can.**_


	5. Chapter 5 Awakening

_**Mabuhay! I'm back. Thanks so much to those who have read and reviewed the previous chapter. And thanks for adding my story to your Story Alerts and Favorite Stories. What else can I say, you guys are the best!**_

_**This chapter is a bit shorter than my previous ones. Nonetheless I hope you will still enjoy reading this.**_

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**CHAPTER 5**

**AWAKENING**

"Gaius, Merlin's coming around."

The young warlock heard a distinct voice of a woman right beside him. He wanted to know who it was so he fluttered his eyes trying to pry them open. His sight was blurry at first, but when his vision adjusted he was so startled and surprised to see who the voice belonged to.

"Mother!" Merlin bolted upward from his laid state, but soon fell back to his bed when he suddenly felt dizzy.

Hunith rested her hand on her son's shoulder, "Try not to move too much Merlin. You're still weak."

Merlin's head was throbbing, as if an axe had chopped it in two. He held one hand on his crown, slowly sat up and gazed upon his mother's face once more. Was he still dreaming? He couldn't believe that she's actually there with him in his room. Merlin was so glad to see her. He had missed his mother so much and it had been more than a year since he last had seen her. Although he was truly grateful that she was there, but it was very untimely that Hunith came to visit him in his present situation.

"Mother, you're here." Merlin said with a very happy beam.

"Yes, Merlin, I'm so happy to see you my son. And I'm glad that you're alive and awake." Hunith said with a smile, but her grin didn't reach her eyes. She looked tired and weary. Hunith must have been so worried with Merlin after what had happened. It's one of a mother's pains to see her child sick or suffering. But Hunith had to be strong for her son so she kept a brave face.

"What brings you here mother?" Merlin asked. But before Hunith could answer Gaius came in with two small bottles in his hand.

"Ah, Merlin, I see that you've decided to come back to the land of the living." Gaius said as he walked towards the bed.

"He's still weak, Gaius. We have to get his strength back." Hunith said.

"It's very expected, after what he had been through. It's remarkable that he's still alive."

"You can't get rid of me that easily." Merlin said lightheartedly.

Gaius rolled his eyes, "Even after what you've been through, you still have the vigor to be obnoxious."

Merlin muffled a laugh, "Yeah, right."

Merlin observed the change in his mother and guardian's faces, their expressions were much brighter. They've been constantly monitoring him over night and their concern and worry for their son had not quench during the vigil. Now Merlin has awakened, Hunith and Gaius were both relieved to see that the boy was going to be alright.

"We thought we're going to loss you there, Merlin." Gaius said, "You were so drained from what ever happened to you in Arthur's chambers that you were almost in the brink of death."

Merlin suddenly lost himself in a train of thought. He tried to remember what exactly had happened to him. His memory was a bit murky at first, but eventually everything became crystal clear. The tug he felt in his stomach, the surge of power emanating from him, and lastly the explosion. Merlin realized what he had done and became anxious.

Merlin looked at Gaius troubled, "What did Arthur say about his chambers being blown up? Did he get mad?"

Gaius sat at the edge of Merlin's bed, "Actually, he didn't mind so much about his chambers. He was much more worried about you."

"He was?" Merlin said with a disbelieving tone.

Gaius replied, "He carried you here all the way from his chambers, almost running in fact, all by himself."

"It's so unlike Arthur to care for me like that." Merlin said trying to make his tone dry and trying to stifle a smile.

"Merlin, give Arthur some credit." said Hunith, "Gaius told me how worried sick he was with you. You're fortunate to have a master who cared so much for his servant."

The boy gave his mother a meaningful grin, "I know that, mother."

Merlin knew he was fortunate. At first he didn't fully appreciated being a servant to the pratty Prince. He just felt obligated to run around with Arthur and do his chores and at the same time save his royal back side because Merlin had to fulfill his destiny. But as time went by, he began to see Arthur differently. The Prince cared so much about the people of Camelot. He was kind hearted and brave. And Merlin knew that Arthur will become a great king someday, the best king that Albion will ever see. Merlin was proud to be his servant, until the day he dies. And also he came to see the Prince as a friend.

Hunith stood up, "I'll get you something to eat." She said to her son and after sweetly rubbing his hair she swiftly went out of the room.

As Merlin watched his mother leave he realized something, the aftermath of the explosion. Merlin became nervous.

"Ah Gaius, I'm worried about what Uther and Arthur thought about the incident in the chambers."

Gaius cleared his throat, "Well, you need not to worry about it my boy. Somebody witnessed what had happened."

Merlin was in shock, "What! Somebody saw me?" he suddenly became so panic-stricken that he was talking too fast, "How can I not worry about that Gaius? Uther will have me executed. Who saw me? Do I know him? I need to talk-"

"Now calm down Merlin." Gaius held up his hands to stop Merlin from his hysterics, "Like I said you should not worry about it."

Merlin stopped and took a deep breath, "Why? What do you mean? What happened?"

Gaius began to explain, "Harvey, one of the menservants, saw you inside the whirlwind when he passed by Arthur's chambers. He thought there was someone else with you inside the room. He said you looked tormented and pained, and he heard you say something like you were stopping someone. So the king concluded that a sorcerer attacked you, but Uther speculated that his son was the supposed target for the attack. And because of that the king organized a witch hunt."

Merlin blinked, his face bemused, "So . . . that's it? I'm off the hook?"

Gaius shrugged, "Pretty much so I guess. But I have to warn you that Arthur might come and question you for your account of the incident. I think you know what to do."

The boy gave out a sigh, "Well, not telling Arthur the whole truth is a better alternative than telling him I unintentionally blew up his chambers." Merlin gave Gaius a half smile.

Behind what Merlin said Gaius could feel the boy's angst. Keeping Merlin's magic a secret was a heavy load upon the boy's young shoulders. Merlin had always wished that one day his true self would be revealed, and people, especially Arthur, would accept him for who he was. He didn't need to pretend or to lie, and he would be free to use magic. But until that time comes, Merlin had to keep his head down, or else his head might end up on a guillotine.

The door opened and Hunith came in with a bowl of soup and some bread. She placed the bread on the side table and offered the soup to her son. "Here, you should eat something before you take your medicine."

Merlin reached for the bowl, "Thanks mother," then Merlin remembered something, "By the way, why are you here?"

Hunith and Gaius exchanged glances. Gaius raised an eyebrow, "Merlin, had it occur to you that yesterday was your birthday?"

"It was?" Merlin said with his eyes lighting up. He looked at his mother, "You mean the Magnolia trees had bloomed?"

Gaius looked at the mother and son confused, "What do Magnolia trees have to do with Merlin's birthday?"

Hunith smiled. Obviously, her older brother was clueless. She sat on the low stool beside Merlin's bed, "Well, as peasants, we don't keep any official records about our dated of birth. Only royalties and nobles have that luxury and they get to be remembered and celebrated. When Merlin came into the world, the first thing I noticed was the Magnolia trees had just bloomed. So I kept that in mind and made it my marker. Almost every year Merlin and I would celebrate his birthday in the mid of summer when the Magnolias bear flowers." Hunith looked at her son with a sad expression, "Until I sent you to live here in Camelot, we never get to celebrate your birthday ever since."

Merlin held his mother's hand. For the past three years that he stayed in Camelot, he didn't remember that he had a birthday. His mother was the only person who knew about it and was the only person whom he celebrates it with. Without his mother there was no one to greet him a happy birthday and make him his favorite pudding. He never told Gaius about it, neither to his friends. He became so pre-occupied in fulfilling his destiny that his birthdays in Camelot were soon forgotten.

Hunith fixed her composure for she didn't want to look sad in front of Merlin. She smiled, "But what's really special about your birthday today is that you have come of age. That's why I traveled all the way from Ealdor just to be with you."

Merlin grinned, "Really, I've come of age?"

"Yes, Merlin. And I'm so proud of you." Hunith said while putting her hands on the sides of his face.

Merlin couldn't help but chuckle. He never thought that his mother would be proud of him for his coming of age, though he never felt any different since the other day before he turned twenty-one. He was still the same Merlin. So what's so special about it?

Merlin abruptly realized something, "Gaius, could the things that were happening to me, the levitation and the explosion, could they have something to do with my coming of age?"

Gaius spoke, "Actually, Hunith and I were thinking the same thing. Coming of age is one of the pinnacles of a person's life. A person who has come of age is given curtain privileges and entitlements because they reached the age of accountability. Like Arthur, when he turned twenty-one he was given the title crowned prince of Camelot, the successor to the throne. In some cultures, a person who has come of age has the right to marry or own properties. And in other places the person has to go through some ritual called the rite to passage."

"I see." Merlin furrowed his brow, "So what you're saying is that what I've been going through could be my rite to passage, as a sorcerer?"

"Perhaps," the physician said, "I was thinking if other sorcerers go through the same thing. But I never was like that when I turned twenty-one. So it could be that special sorcerers, like you, go through it when they reach this transition."

Merlin's eyes grew distant, he remembered something that was vitally important to the mystery. The young warlock spoke, "While I was . . . out cold, I had a dream. And in my dream a unicorn told me that I should go to the forest and look for Anhora. He knows what's going on with me."

Gaius looked at Merlin baffled, "Surely this could just be a dream Merlin, a product of your subconscious."

Merlin wrinkled his forehead, "I don't know Gaius, but the dream seemed so real."

Hunith frowned, "Who is Anhora?"

"He's the keeper of the unicorns." Gaius answered, "Merlin and Arthur had an encounter with him a few years ago."

"And do you trust this Anhora?" Hunith questioned her son.

Merlin pursed his lips in doubt, yet his expression was determined, "I'm not sure, but if we want to really know why I'm like this then I should comply with the unicorn's message. I have to meet with Anhora as soon as possible."

Although Gaius was a man of magic, he was also a man of science. He didn't want to jump into a conclusion that magic was involved in any situation unless proven, "But Merlin, that could only be a mere dream. You were unconscious, perhaps it was nothing at all."

Hunith suddenly noticed something, "Merlin, why is there dirt on your sheets?"

"What?" Merlin looked at his sheets, there was some dirt on it. He pulled off his blanket that covered his legs. Merlin was bewildered to see that his bare feet were soiled with dark brown dirt. The three of them were mystified.

"Have you been sleep walking Merlin?" Gaius said.

Merlin couldn't answer. He soon realized that his grimy feet was a confirmation that he was not merely dreaming, and the message from the unicorn was real.

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_**Thanks for reading, please review. Chapter six is on its way, so I'll update soon.**_


	6. Chapter 6 Celebration

_**A/N: Hello again. Thanks a million to those who reviewed my previous chapter and to those who added me to their Story Alerts and Favorite Stories. I want to particularly thank Loopstagirl for her heart warming and flattering review. **_

_**Hope you guys will like this chapter. It's mostly Merlin and Arthur interaction. Please review. Thanks again!**_

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**CHAPTER 6**

**CELEBRATION**

Gaius was so surprised that Merlin was recovering faster than he expected. By midday the young warlock was feeling a lot better and he was walking around the chambers as if nothing happened. The physician thought that it was not just the tonic that's making the boy stronger, but also his mother's presence seemed to add to the remedy. Hunith decided to stay for a while until her son has fully recovered. Gaius also thought of Merlin's dream, the young warlock had told it to him in detail. Wherever Merlin was taken in his dream, it helped strengthen him not just his body but also his mind and spirit, which made the healing process quicker. It seems like the old religion was helping Merlin in some way.

Word came to Arthur that his ex-manservant had awoken. With no further delay the prince trotted towards Gaius' chambers while carrying a small pitcher that he concealed behind his coat. When Arthur reached the chambers' door he thought of barging in like he always does every time he fetched Merlin when he's late. But the Prince thought Merlin's mother was there, that wouldn't be polite. So uncharacteristically he knocked. And fortunately Hunith answered the door.

"Sire.", Hunith said surprised.

"Hunith, is Merlin awake?", Arthur asked.

"Yes, he is. Please come in.", Hunith ushered the Prince inside.

Arthur saw Merlin seating at their small dining table eating his midday meal. He instantly noticed the difference in Merlin's appearance. Wasn't it just yesterday that the boy was almost at death's door? Yet Merlin was wide awake, looking healthier and his skin was less pale. Gaius must have done a really good job.

Merlin quickly became aware of the blond haired prince. His eyes opened up.

"I see you're still alive. It looks like Avalon's not ready for you yet.", Arthur said as he approached the table.

Merlin shrugged, "Yeah, I guess so."

The prince sat on the opposite side of the table facing Merlin and took out the small pitcher from behind his coat and placed it on the table, "How are you?"

"Pretty much okay, still a bit dizzy, but manageable."

Hunith interrupted their conversation, "Merlin, I'm going out to get Gaius some herbs he needs for your tonic. Will you be alright?"

"Yes, mother. I'll be fine.", Merlin said, "Arthur will keep me company. Right sire?"

Arthur nodded, "Ah, yes of course."

Hunith smiled at the prince then looked back at her son, "Alright then. I'll be back soon.", she said and swiftly left the room.

"So how's your chambers?", Merlin asked.

"A total disaster. But carpenters and masons are fixing it up even as we speak."

Merlin sighed, "Great. Now I have a brand new room to clean up."

Arthur winced, he didn't know how to break the news, "Ah . . . Merlin, I don't think you're going to be doing that anymore."

"Why not?", Merlin said confused.

Arthur leaned forward and folded his hands on the table, "I don't know if it's good news or a bad news to you . . .but," he took a deep breath and let it out, "my father sacked you as my manservant."

"What!", Merlin was alarmed but he didn't know what to react upon the news. Should he be happy about it or be angry? So he just said, "Why did the king suddenly decided to take me out of my misery?"

A cleft formed between Arthur's eyebrows, he couldn't make out of Merlin's reaction. He tried to explain, "Let's just say my father and I had a heated argument on something and he lashed his frustration on you."

"Now that's not fair.", Merlin said frowning, "How did I ever get involved in your argument? I just laid here, half-dead and minding my own business."

The prince rolled his eyes, "Look, that's not important. But don't worry Merlin, I'll try to find a way to get you back to being my servant.", then he looked at the young man with uncertainty, "That is, if you still want to."

Merlin pretended to be thoughtful for a moment. Then he said, "Well, do I have a choice?"

Arthur smirked and nodded, "Good point.", he said, and Merlin returned a grin.

To Merlin, it wasn't a choice. His loyalty was to the prince and it was his destiny to be in Arthur's side.

Arthur changed the topic, "I must say, Hunith must have kept some sort of record of the day you were born. As far as I know peasants don't have official records of their date of birth."

"Well, my mother was very observant. When I was born it was the mid of summer and the Magnolia trees started to bloom. So she made that her reminder of my birthday.", Merlin said. He almost forgot his meal, so he stabbed some vegetables and a piece of fish with a fork and popped them in his mouth.

Arthur bobbed his head as he realized something, "So that explains it."

Merlin swallowed his food, "Explain what?"

"The girly side of you.", Arthur said in a pompous voice, "Why did you have to be born in a day when flowers started to bloom? That's so . . . girly."

"We can't choose the day or time we want to be born you know."

"I guess you're destined to be born on a flowery day.", Arthur said with a simper.

Merlin shook his head grimacing, there's no stopping Arthur when he gets started on teasing Merlin. So to get himself out the embarrassing situation the boy leaned the topic to another direction by noticing the pitcher on the table.

"What's that?"

Arthur reached for the pitcher, "Oh, just something I got from the royal winery."

The young warlock was incredulous, "Why did you bring that for?"

"Hey, isn't it your coming of age? We should celebrate. You do have goblets around here, don't you?"

Merlin was a bit stunned, Arthur got him a drink? Was this another dream? Merlin wanted to pinch himself to make sure. Arthur never, ever brought him a drink. Merlin was left staring dumbfounded at the prince.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Aren't you going to get goblets or not? We haven't got all day.", Arthur said snapping Merlin out of his trance.

"Oh, yeah. I think we do have goblets."

The young man stood up and took out two silver goblets from a cupboard. He placed them on the table and Arthur poured generous amounts in each goblet. Merlin sat back on his place at the table and each of them took one. But before Merlin could let it touch his lips Arthur raised his goblet.

"I propose a toast," Arthur said in his princely tone which made Merlin raise his goblet, "to your passage to manhood, and for surviving another close shave with death."

Merlin snorted and managed to make a proud half grin.

"And also," Arthur continued, "to your unwavering loyalty not only to me, but to Camelot as well."

The servant wasn't expecting that. The prince had acknowledged Merlin's loyalty, and it made him feel all the more proud. Because of this Merlin straightened his hunching back, lifted his head up high and said, "For the love of Camelot."

Arthur nodded in agreement, "For the love of Camelot."

And the two men toasted and drank from their goblets.

After a drink Merlin examined the contents of his goblet, "That's good stuff.", he said. He never tasted wine that good before.

Arthur smirked, "Nothing but the best for his royal highness."

Merlin looked at the prince in shock, "You mean this was from the king's personal stash of wine?"

"Hey, I'm the king's son, I'm entitled to some of his stash, aren't I?"

Merlin chortled, "One of the wonderful privileges of being the crown prince of Camelot."

"Yeah, tell me about it.", Arthur said then gulped the remaining contents of his goblet.

Merlin sniggered. Arthur's going to be in big trouble if his father knew about this. Especially if the king found out that his son was sharing his stash with a servant. Merlin felt a sense of gratitude.

"Thanks, Arthur.", Merlin said and the prince simply smiled in response.

Arthur put his goblet down on the table, "Merlin, there's something I meant to ask you. If you don't want to talk about it right now it's okay."

Merlin gave a mischievous grin, "Is it about how you could woo Gwen?"

"No, you idiot!", Arthur retorted, "Why should I ask advice from you about women, you don't even know a single thing about them."

"Oh, like you do.", Merlin pointed out.

The prince twitched his mouth in annoyance as he glowered at the sorcerer.

Merlin sensed the heat of Arthur's irritation, "Okay, okay. What is it that you want to ask?"

Arthur made a serious composure and spoke, "It's about the incident in my chambers. It will help us find whoever did this to you if you could tell me what _really_ happened."

Merlin gulped silently, this was the moment that Gaius was warning him about. What was he going to tell Arthur? He hadn't pondered out a reason yet. He could play out on Harvey's account of the incident and take off from there. But Merlin hated lying, he's really no good at it. He was such a terrible liar that he got thrown in the stocks many times by King Uther. But he had to think of a reason fast for Arthur was waiting his answer. _'Oh, well. Here goes nothing.', _Merlin mentally said. He was about to speak when suddenly the door opened, Guinevere gracefully entered and saved his day.

'_Thank God', _Merlin thought. He was safe from Arthur's questions, for now.

Gwen was so accustomed to Gaius' chambers that she could enter in without knocking. Since Morgana disappeared, she had so much time left in her hands. Gwen decided to volunteer as Gaius' assistant in the small infirmary. Slung on her arm was Merlin's reddish-brown jacket and she held a pouch bag on her other hand. She approached the table where the two men were seating.

"Hello Merlin.", Gwen greeted, "I heard from your mother that you're awake." , then she looked at the prince, "Oh, Arthur you're here."

"Yes, I just dropped by to check on Merlin.", Arthur said. He could feel his cheeks burning a bit.

Merlin instantly noticed his jacket, "Why do you have that?", he asked.

Gwen draped the jacket on the backrest of a chair, "I borrowed it from Gaius yesterday because I need a pattern.", she said.

Merlin was puzzled, "A pattern? For what?"

Gwen handed the pouch bag to Merlin, "For your birthday present."

Merlin's eyes widened, "For me?", he said as he reached for the pouch bag. He didn't move at first, and was staring at Gwen still incoherent with the surprise.

"Go ahead, open it.", Gwen encouraged.

When Merlin snapped out of his stupor he immediately opened up the bag and pulled out what was inside. Merlin's grin was ear to ear when he saw a brand new jacket. It had a rich dark blue color made from sturdy fabric. Gwen had made it especially for him.

"Wow, Gwen, this is great!" he looked at Gwen with gleaming eyes, "You _are_ the best seamstress in all of Camelot."

Gwen was flattered, "Well, thank you Merlin. You should try it on."

Merlin stood up excited to try it on. Gwen helped in putting the jacket on Merlin's gangly frame. When the coat was on him the young warlock immediately felt like a new man. It had been a long time since he had something new to his name. The color complimented his creamy white skin and any of his tunics and neckerchiefs will go well with the blue jacket.

"It fits nicely Gwen. And the color's great. Thank you so much.", Merlin couldn't contain his joy that he suddenly hugged Gwen.

She was surprised by her friend's reaction, "Ah . . . It's my pleasure Merlin.", she muttered on Merlin's shoulder as she stood stiffly in his arms. Although she understood how happy Merlin was by her gift, but Gwen felt a little awkward because of a certain someone who was with them in the room.

"_E-hem.",_ Arthur coughed.

Merlin abruptly became aware of Arthur. '_O-oh', _he thought, and quickly release Gwen from his embrace. The young warlock glanced at the prince who was indifferently looking at him with one eyebrow raised and his arms crossed on his chest. Merlin knew Arthur's feelings for Gwen. The prince had once blurted it out to his servant and made Merlin promise to never tell anybody.

"I . . .I was just. . .it was just a friendly hug, you know.", Merlin fidgetly tried to explain. He hoped Arthur wouldn't think of it as anything else.

Arthur knew Merlin's intentions were friendly, Merlin and Gwen had been friends ever since the bumpkin came to Camelot. But he couldn't help feeling a tad jealous. So to conceal what he felt, he threw Merlin a banter, "You know, even with that new jacket, you still look ridiculous.", he said condescendingly.

"Yeah, right. I still look ridiculously handsome, thank you very much.", Merlin said as he sat back at the table.

"Now where did you get that idea?", Arthur said and their bantering continued on while Gwen sat with them at the table.

* * *

The night had fallen and the dark sky was illuminated by thousands of stars as the moon shone brightly. Merlin was looking out his bedroom window observing the skyline of the city. He was leaning on the ledge of the casement as his thoughts trailed off. He was thinking of his meeting with Anhora the next day. What will he discover about himself during the meeting and what has Anhora planned for him. Merlin didn't quite know the mysterious sorcerer, he only met him in few occasions two years ago. But the warlock had to put his trust in Anhora for this could be Merlin's only chance to know what was happening to him.

Although he never had another episode of his magical fit since he woke up he still had that infuriating feeling that it could come about again and it could be much worse than the previous incident. He found it disconcerting if somebody gets hurt yet again, like the guard and the two servants. Luckily no one died, but there was a chance that a life might be at risk because of Merlin's instability. He thought of staying away from Camelot for a while until he has resolved his condition. But where will he go? Surely he can't go back to Ealdor. If he had the tendency of blowing up Arthur's chambers then he might do something far more disastrous to the village. There was only one place where Merlin could go, and that was the forest. He will be safe there and the people around him will be far from danger. With a determined mind, he rummaged through his belongings. He found his backpack and started stuffing it with extra clothes and a blanket. He didn't know how long he would be gone so he took whatever possessions he had. He only left his reddish-brown jacket and some of his neckerchiefs.

As he was packing up, the door opened and Hunith came in.

"Merlin, what are you doing?"

Merlin paused and turned around to see his mother at the door. Feeling reluctant, he continued with his packing.

Hunith approached her son, "You're just going to meet with Anhora tomorrow, and it seemed like you're preparing yourself to be gone for days. Why Merlin?"

The young man looked at his mother with resolved eyes, "I need to stay away from Camelot for a while mother. I'm a walking disaster waiting to happen. I just can't bear to think that someone might get hurt again because of me."

"Then where will you be going?"

"In the forest perhaps. Maybe Anhora will have some answers to my problem. I'm not sure how long I will be there so I have to prepare."

Hunith nodded, "I see. I'm just concerned about this Merlin. What if you will never come back?"

Merlin held his mother's hand, "Don't think that way, mother. I can take care of myself. I _will_ come back, I promise."

"I don't know Merlin. What happened to you in Arthur's chambers left you almost at the brink of death. If that happens again in the forest then who will take care of you?"

Merlin sensed his mother worry, she has all the right to be anxious for her son especially after what happened. But what else can he do.

Merlin let out his breath, "Mother, I know how much this bothers you. And it displeases me to see you worry. But this is something that I must do. You have to trust me on this. If I stayed here in Camelot and I had another episode then that will be the end for me. Uther will find out and he will have me executed. And he might even lash his fury on you and Gaius. I don't want that to happen, mother."

Hunith's eyes were filled with dread. This was one of the things that she was most afraid of; to see her son make a difficult decision that will somehow endanger his life. But Merlin was right, there's no other way, and she had no other choice but to have faith in him. All this time she had heard from Gaius through his letters of the wonderful things that Merlin had done for Camelot. He was subjected to a lot of dangerous encounters, yet he overcame them all. She had to trust her son, and as always she had to be strong for him.

She reached her arms up to Merlin's neck and embraced him tightly. The boy returned her embrace.

"May the gods be with you my son.", Hunith softly said, "You have my blessing."

"Thank you mother."

Hunith released Merlin and looked at his face once more, "Your father must be proud of you."

Merlin suddenly remembered his deceased father, Balinor, the last of the dragonlords. Merlin now secretly holds that title. He glanced at the small wooden dragon on his bedside table, his only memento from his father. The boy's eye began to well up.

"I know that he's proud of me, mother. I know that full well.", he said as a tear tricked down his cheek.

* * *

_**Thanks for reading. I'll try to update as soon as I can.**_


	7. Chapter 7 Breakout

**_A/N: Hello again! Thanks so much for those who reviewed on the previous chapter and those who put me in their Story Alerts and Favorite Stories list. You guys are the reason why I keep on writing. _**

**_Sorry it took me a while to update, I was very busy with work these past few weeks. Anyway, I'm back and I have a fresh new chapter. Hope you guys will like it. _**

**_Please take time to review. Lots of love to you all! Enjoy._**

* * *

**CHAPTER 7**

**BREAKOUT**

Merlin absolutely could not sleep and this really frustrated him. Lack of sleep was the last thing he ever needed. He had to be well rested for his journey in the morning. The trek to the forest was quite far, it would take him about half a day to get there on foot. He might groggily trip on a stone or something while walking if he didn't get enough rest. But he just can't get himself to slumber at all. His mind was running all over the place as he thought of his impending meeting with Anhora. He was also a bit paranoid. Merlin was sensing himself for the slightest indication that he might levitate, or worse explode. He was thinking of getting some of Gaius' sleeping draught but he might not wake up early. He should be up before the sun rises and before anyone else could notice that he left the castle. Merlin tried counting the stars that were visible from his bedroom window but to no avail. He tried to relax but he kept twitching and tossing. It was useless, he just couldn't sleep. He might as well get up and start his journey as early as possible. But at least, so far, he hadn't experienced any magical fits during the evening, at least everybody was safe.

Merlin sat up from his make-shift bed of folded blankets on the floor, he looked over his shoulder to see his mother sleeping soundly on his bed. Quietly, as not to awake Hunith, he stood up and dressed himself. He decided to wear Gwen's birthday gift to him, the rich blue jacket. People in the palace were used to seeing him in his battered brown jacket. The blue coat was a great disguise, no one would recognize him from a distance. He wore the jacket over his deep red tunic and tied his dark gray neckerchief around his collar. He then took his readied knapsack and slung it on his back. He was about to stride out of his bedroom when he suddenly paused. He hesitated at first, but he turned to gaze at his sleeping mother once more.

Hunith hadn't had a decent sleep since the night before from watching over her son during his loss of consciousness. Merlin didn't want to wake her up to say goodbye, she needed her rest. Their conversation that night was enough. Hunith knew where her son was going and she already gave her blessing. And also, Merlin didn't want to see her sad when he leaves, it might make him think twice of going to his venture.

Merlin knelt beside the bed and spoke in a whisper, "I'll be back mother, I promise. I love you." He felt a choking feeling in his throat as he tried to control his emotions from overwhelming him. It was hard for him to leave his mother like this, but he had to. He hoped that even in her sleep Hunith might have heard what he said. With a heavy heart, he stood up and walked towards the door.

When Merlin got out of his room he was surprised to see Gaius awake and was seating on his study table reading a book. It seemed like the old man was waiting for the boy to come out. The glow of a single lit candle was the only light in the room. When Gaius saw his ward he placed his book down, took off his glasses and studied the boy.

"Did you get enough sleep?", Gaius asked.

"No, not really. I couldn't sleep at all.", Merlin replied.

"Well, let me see if we could do something about that. It wouldn't help if you're all bleary when you face Anhora.", Gaius said as he slowly stood up.

He strolled towards a wooden cabinet where he kept his preparations of potions and draughts. He took out three small bottles, placed them inside a small bag and handed it to Merlin.

"Here, this will keep you awake and it will help boost your energy. But don't drink them all at one gulp, those potions are strong so take only sips. And be sure you get some sleep."

The boy grinned at the physician. Gaius had always treated Merlin like a son, and Merlin had also loved Gaius like a father.

He tapped the physician's arm, "Thanks Gaius."

But a simple tap wasn't enough for Gaius, so he enfolded Merlin with an embrace. The boy could feel the old man's concern for him. Like Hunith, Gaius was also worried for Merlin. But the young man was determined to go, even if his journey could lead to uncertainty. It was a risk he was willing to take. All that Gaius could do was to have faith in his adopted son and pray that nothing bad would happen to him.

"Take care of yourself my boy.", the old man said.

Merlin patted Gaius' back, "You too, and please take care of mother for me."

"I certainly will.", then Gaius released Merlin and looked at him, "We don't know what Anhora has in store for you. So when you meet him, be _smart_, be _wise_ and be _careful_.", He mouthed each word with emphasis.

Merlin nodded, "Yes, I will." He gave his farewell and went out of the physician's chambers.

* * *

Merlin didn't walk across the courtyard like he usually does. It would had been much faster to get to the armory through that way if he did so, but he feared that somebody might see him so he took another, yet much longer, detour inside and around the palace. The castle was unusually heavily guarded that night. The king had ordered more guards to secure the area after what happened in Arthur's chambers. Merlin had to be extra cautious.

For working in the castle for quite a while, Arthur's former manservant became rather familiar of most of the passage ways inside, even some of the secret ones. He knew of a secret exit in the armory that led outside the castle walls. It was the same passage that Morgana took when she helped the druid boy Mordred escape (which Merlin deeply regretted for being involved in it). It was the perfect escape route and no one will ever suspect. Merlin had to carefully plan his way around the palace towards the armory.

He had gone through the first passages without a hitch, until he got to a dark corridor. He suddenly heard distant footsteps of a royal guards marching towards him. The guards were getting closer. Merlin quickly hid himself in an alcove. He went deep inside letting the darkness conceal him as he pressed his back against the wall. The footsteps grew louder as the guards were almost near him, Merlin braced himself. He felt the guards passed by and they paused. Merlin held his breath, he tried to sense what the guards were about to do. But after a few moments the footsteps echoed once more and became distant. As soon as the guards were far enough Merlin came out of the alcove and proceeded.

Finally he got to the armory. He pushed the door but found that it was locked. He whispered, _"l__úspliege__",_ his eyes glowed and the door unlocked by itself. When Merlin pushed the door he suddenly felt uncomfortable, it was so dark inside. For one thing, Merlin hated dark places, but he had to get in before somebody sees him. With some gathered courage he went in and closed the door.

It was really dark, there wasn't even a speck of light from the high windows. The moon wasn't so luminous at that time. Merlin was thinking of feeling his way around but he might end up hitting something that could cause a lot of racket. And to think that he's inside an armory, he might accidentally run himself through a sword or a spear. There was no torch around, or that's what he thought, considering that he couldn't see a thing in the pitch black darkness. If he used his fire spell without a torch he might end up burning the armory instead. He really hadn't plan for this. He wished he had brought a candle at least.

Suddenly Merlin felt something from deep within him, a strange gut feeling, an instinct. He opened his right hand and muttered, _"Ferm__u__m fero gift__u__m, fieder berde. Ferm__u__m fero gift__u__m.__", _thenhis eyes blazed. Slowly, a small orb of light appeared on his hand. Its bluish glow was enough for him to see his way around the armory.

Merlin was bewildered, "How the hell . . ."

He couldn't believe it. The blue orb of light resembled the one Gaius had told him about when Merlin was poisoned by Nimueh. In the past he tried conjuring the blue orb again but he didn't know the spell for it. There was no such spell in his magic books. How was it that Merlin suddenly knew the enchantment for the orb and made it appear? He was so mystified that he couldn't take his eyes off from the glowing sphere. The boy suddenly gained back his awareness as he realized that he had to move fast before his time runs out. He will ponder on this later. Instinctively, he gently tossed the blue orb up in the air letting it float like a soap bubble and made the orb follow him through the darkness of the room as his guiding light.

Merlin slowly walked through rows of weapons and being cautious not to trip, bump or snag onto anything. He was looking for the big shield with yellow and red strips that covered the secret exit at the end of the room. He found the shield and lifted it off from its hanger, behind it was a door. Merlin remembered the door to be made of wood, but the door was now fortified made from cast iron. Merlin tried to budge it open with his own strength but it wouldn't move. He inspected the door and saw that the secret exit was bolted shut with large iron rivets that were fastened on the stone wall.

Merlin smacked his forehead with the flat of his palm and grimaced. He forgot that after the incident with the druid boy, King Uther had ordered to bolt the door shut so it wouldn't be used again as an escape. Only heavy tools could be utilized to pry it open. Merlin thought of other exits inside the palace but he realized he's almost out of time and the sun was rising. It was too late for him to wonder around the castle looking for another way out. He had to open the iron door. But the problem was he hadn't learned a spell for this. Sure he knew spells that could blast locked doors and dungeon bars, he even got himself out of a sealed cavern where the troll, Lady Katrina, trapped him there. But this situation was different. If he used his known spells it would certainly gather attention among the royal guards because of the noise it could generate. He had to have a new spell for this, a quiet yet powerful spell that could open sealed iron doors. But his magic book was hidden under the floor panel in his bedroom.

Then it happened again, the strange gut feeling, like Merlin knew what to do at that very moment. The young warlock took a step back and glared at the door with concentration, then he said, _"Ic i nú __tólýsan__.",_ his eyes glowed gold and felt a jolt of power escaped from within him. The iron rivets that were sealing the door started popping out from their sockets. One by one the rivets dropped, each making a faint _clink_ as they hit the stone floor.

Merlin was in awe. How did he do that? He didn't learn that spell before, but strangely enough it just came out of him like he recalled a well memorized spell from a magic book. When the last rivet was out Merlin quickly opened the door. He let the blue glowing orb go in first then he crammed his lanky body into the exit. Before closing the iron door he used his magic to levitate the shield commanded it to hang on the wall to conceal the secret exit once more.

* * *

_Ding, dong, ding, dong, ding, dong, ding, dong_

The alarm bell resounded throughout the kingdom breaking the silence of the early morning. Arthur rushed out of his temporary chambers, his hair still messy from his sleep. The alarm bell had awakened him which made him scrambled out off his bed. He had asked the guards where the problem was and they all pointed out to the armory.

The prince ambled towards the scene and found Sir Leon and a couple of guards already there.

"What seems to be the problem?", Arthur asked the knight while catching his breath.

"Sire, somebody broke into the armory and opened the secret exit."

Arthur's face was alarmed, "What?", he exclaimed and hastily entered the armory followed by Sir Leon.

The sun light beamed through the high windows brightening the room. Arthur got to the end of the armory and saw that his father was already there with Gaius by his side. Arthur had noticed the big shield on the floor as it leaned on the wall and the secret exit door was wide open.

Gaius bent over to reach one of the fallen iron rivets and examined it.

Uther placed his hand on the open door panel, "I've ordered this exit door to be shut closed a few years ago so it wouldn't be used again. Why is it open now?"

"That's impossible, father.", Arthur said, "I ordered masons to bolt the door shut. I've even checked their work myself. No one can open it with conventional means."

"Who ever did this must be really strong to take out all the rivets out of their sockets.", Gaius said giving the iron rivet to Uther for the king to see.

The iron rivets were cleanly taken out from the holes on the wall. If a tool was used to take rivet out it would have been worn, dented or deformed. But the rivets were intact, without dents and not misshapen.

"How could that be?", Uther said incredulously then turned to sir Leon, "How was this discovered?"

The knight reported, "One of the guards was about to turn in his weapons in the armory when he noticed the iron rivets on the floor. He was curious as to where they came from and he saw the shield had tilted. He took the shield off from its hanger and he saw that the exit door was opened. He immediately came to me and told me what he discovered."

Uther stared intensely at the opened door, "Somebody had sneaked out of the palace last night, and he knew about this exit."

"Who could know about it?", Leon asked, "Only a handful of people knew of this exit in the armory."

Arthur spoke, "If you could recall, Morgana used this exit to escape a druid boy out of Camelot. The boy might have told one of his people about this exit."

"Sire, you're speculating that a druid might have opened it?", Gaius asked.

"It's a possibility.", Uther said, "It could explain how cleanly these strong rivets where taken out from the wall. Magic was used to open this exit."

Sir Leon's mind brought in a notion and looked at the prince, "Sire, do you suppose that this druid could also be responsible for blowing up your chambers?"

Arthur glanced at the knight, "It could be.", was all he said.

Uther throw the rivet on the floor and gazed at his son and Sir Leon, "I want this druid to be found. If he is the one responsible for what happened to Arthur's chambers he must be hunted down. Search everywhere, and don't leave any stone unturned."

Sir Leon bowed, "Yes my lord.", The knight said. Arthur just nodded.

Uther went out the armory as Sir Leon followed leaving Arthur and Gaius behind.

The prince turned to the physician, "How's Merlin doing?"

"He's doing fine, sire. He's still resting at the moment.", he lied. Well, it was better than telling Arthur that Merlin suddenly left and went to the forest to meet with a sorcerer.

"Good, I'll pay him a visit then. I haven't had the chance to get answers from him about his account on what happened in my chambers."

Arthur was about to walk out of the armory when Gaius immediately said, "Ah, I think it wouldn't be good time for him to have visitors, sire."

Arthur frowned as he looking at the old man with squinted, doubtful eyes, "Why not? You just said he's fine. And he even looked pretty much okay when I spoke to him yesterday."

Gaius took in a breath and spoke, "Merlin's going through some emotional stress right now due to the explosion. I think it wouldn't be good for him to think and speak about the event. So as a physician, and his guardian, I think it would be best if he wouldn't have visitors for a while so no one could ask him about the incident. Let's wait until Merlin recovers.", He said this so flawlessly that it was believable.

Arthur considered on what Gaius said, "Okay. Just tell him to stop being such a girl and pull himself together."

"Yes, sire. I will inform you if Merlin's ready for visitors."

Arthur nodded and quickly fled the armory. Gaius stayed behind staring at the secret exit door. He sighed heavy. He knew too well who was responsible for the breakout.

"I told you to be careful, Merlin.", he said quietly to himself.

* * *

It was about midday when Merlin reached the forest. Merlin still had remembered the spot where he and Arthur found the unicorn. From the edge of the forest it was about an hour walk. It had been a long time since he had come to that part of the woods. When they go out hunting, Arthur intended to avoid the area ever since the incident with the unicorn. He didn't want to encounter the creature again as much as possible fearing that he might accidentally shot it again and Camelot might fall into another curse.

While he was walking, Merlin pondered on what happened in the armory that morning. How could he possibly mutter spells that he doesn't even know of? It was like the night when he came face to face with the Great Dragon. The unfamiliar language that came out of his mouth was instinctive. He knew very well that his ability to tame the dragon came from his father Balinor. When the last of the dragon lords died, the ancient gift was passed down to his son. Merlin hasn't fully understood the extent of his new ability. But could it be that there's a connection between the odd events and his being a dragon lord? And what does Anhora have to do with this? There were so many questions that were floating inside Merlin's head and still he had no answers to them. Only one thing Merlin was certain about, all of this happened since the day he came of age.

The young warlock got deeper and deeper into the woods. He passed underneath a natural stone arch that made him feel like he was walking into an enchanted territory. That part of the forest felt mystical in a way, Merlin could sense it in the air. Apparently, his ability to sense magic was much sharper now than ever before.

After he trotted around a curtain part of the forest, Merlin found the marker that he was looking for, rocks that were neatly piled and arranged. It was the make-shift grave for the unicorn's horn. He and Arthur made the grave after the prince had past the last test. It was his way of showing how much he regretted killing the creature.

The boy scanned his eyes on his surroundings. All he could see were trees, plants and rocks, but there was no sign of Anhora or the unicorn. Merlin knew the mysterious sorcerer was around there somewhere, all he needed to do was get his attention.

Merlin put his backpack on the ground. He filled his lungs with air and called out, "Anhora! Anhora! Where are you? Show yourself! Anhora!", His yell echoed throughout the woods causing to scare the birds away. The flutter of their wings resonated all over the forest. Merlin allotted a moment of silence, but no one replied to his call.

He called out again, "Your unicorn gave me a message that you wanted to see me, that you know what is happening to me!", Merlin lifted his arms, "Well, here I am!"

He paused and listened, but the silence was deafening. Merlin gave out a loud sigh.

"Where the hell is that sorcerer?", Merlin said in frustration.

He was beginning to think that he was just wasting his time there. Merlin was getting annoyed. All the while he thought he would be given the answers to his dilemma, but all he came for was dead silence. If this was all a joke then it wasn't funny, it was very irritating.

He bent down to take his backpack and slang its straps on his shoulders. With glowering eyes he looked at the surrounding forest once more. Anhora still wasn't showing up.

"Okay, if you're not going to show yourself then I'm leaving!", he yelled.

Merlin span around to head back into the woods when suddenly he took a step backward in surprise.

"Looking for me?", Anhora said.


	8. Chapter 8 Rite of Passage

_**A/N: Greetings! So sorry for the long wait and living you guys hanging for too long. To be honest, it was a struggle for me to write this past month. I've been going through some difficult times right now and it somehow affected my writing. None the less I still manage to get myself on track. I hope you guys will like it.**_

_**Thanks so much to those who reviewed the previous chapter. Thanks for letting me know how much you enjoyed reading my fic. And thanks so much to those who added me to their Story Alerts and Favorite Stories. You guys are my inspiration.**_

_**Please feel free to give your reviews and comments. I will definitely appreciate it if you do. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: BBC and Shine own the rights to Merlin and the characters of the show. I don't get paid to writing this. I only write for fun.**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 8**

**RITE OF PASSAGE**

Merlin staggered backward bewildered by the sudden appearance of Anhora, Keeper of the unicorns. The boy could have sworn he hadn't seen Anhora in the surrounding forest when he was about to leave, and unexpectedly the old sorcerer came into sight like a puff of smoke. Merlin studied Anhora from head to foot, his features hadn't changed much since Merlin last saw him a few years ago. The Keeper still wore the same tattered, grayish-white cloak and held a staff with deer antlers on top. Yet there's something about him that was different, Merlin could feel it. Anhora seemed to have an aura that felt authoritative and mystical in a way. It wasn't something Merlin had sensed before in the Keeper's presence.

Merlin didn't know if he could trust Anhora. Experience had told him that not all sorcerers were to be trusted. Ironically Merlin himself was a sorcerer and he couldn't trust his own kind. Somehow the Pendragon's distrust for people with magic seemed to have rubbed on him. But he has all the right to be cautious since a lot of _his kind_ had used magic for the wrong reasons and Merlin had proven this many times.

Anhora, despite appearances, was cunning. The tests that he gave Arthur were practical examples of Anhora's cleverness. Even though he hadn't done any _real _harm to Arthur or to Merlin, nonetheless Merlin had to keep his guard just in case. The keeper's ancient eyes measured the boy as if Anhora's gaze could see through his soul. Abruptly, Merlin felt intimidated, but he kept his face indifferent and his stance rigid.

"I am pleased that you responded to my invitation _young warlock_.", Anhora said.

Merlin flinched with what Anhora called him. On the other hand, he shouldn't be that surprised about it. Like the unicorn, Anhora might have known the boy has magic all along. However, being addressed as a _young warlock_ by somebody else made Merlin feel a bit uneasy. He got used to the idea that only a few people - namely Gaius, Hunith, and Lancelot - knew he has magic. And the only one who called him 'young warlock' was Kilgharrah.

"Well, apparently, you already know who I _really_ am.", Merlin said dryly.

"Oh quite indeed, Merlin.", Anhora replied, "You are Camelot's best kept secret. So secret that even the king himself doesn't know he has a sorcerer serving in his courts and protecting his only son and heir to the throne, Arthur."

Merlin scowled at Anhora dubiously. What was the old sorcerer up to?

The Keeper continued, "You play a vital role, particularly to the future king. Your destiny and Arthur's are intertwined. The future glory of Camelot, the restoration of magic in the land and the unity of Albion rest on your shoulders."

Merlin put his knapsack down on the ground not taking his eyes off the sorcerer.

"You seem to know a lot of things about me.", Merlin said.

"Is it surprising that I know so much about you?"

The servant shook his head and shrugged, "No, not really, just intrigued. But is this the reason why you summoned me here, to tell me of my destiny? I already know that."

Anhora spoke, "There are many things about your destiny that you still don't know of."

"Oh, Like what?", Merlin incredulously asked.

"The events that you're experiencing these past days are part of your destiny."

Merlin arched his eyebrows, "You mean the levitation and the explosion? What do they have to do with my destiny?"

Anhora gave Merlin a stern gaze, "Those were signs and manifestations."

"Signs and manifestations of what?", Merlin said perplexed.

In the blink of an eye Anhora disappeared from Merlin's sight. He reappeared on top of a rocky outcrop to the right. Merlin spun towards Anhora's direction.

The Keeper explained, "Aside from the magic you already have, deep within you lays a much more powerful magic. Cocooned inside you since the day you were born. This powerful magic will only emerge when the right time comes. Sometimes it manifests when you are in grave danger or in unconsciousness. The night when you levitated was a sign that you have reached the age of accountability, an age when you are now entrusted with this power."

"That was the night I came of age.", Merlin realized. He stood utterly dumfounded on what Anhora said. His mouth was slightly gaping in astonishment. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from the sorcerer. He was entrusted with great power. But what sort of power could it be?

"But what about the explosion?", The boy questioned, "What does that have to do with all of this?"

"That was the moment when your new power was unleashed. The release of your new magic made you weak, but it was necessary."

"Well, at least you could have warned me about it so I didn't have to blow up Arthur's chambers.", Merlin smirked.

Anhora grinned at that. It was the first time Merlin ever saw him smile, "Like I said it was necessary. The explosion sent waves into the realm of the old religion, it is an announcement that your time has come. The power that is within you now is your new magic. And I believe you already have been using it."

"Really. . .", was all Merlin could say. He paused to take it all in. Now everything started to make sense. The unfamiliar spells he did in the armory, his sharpen sensitivity to magic. They were the product of his new power. As if his former magic had increased in intensity. It was like what Gaius said about the entitlements and privileges of coming of age. Just like Arthur when he turned twenty-one he was given the title of Crowned Prince of Camelot. He was also given a greater range in his political power. And when Arthur becomes king, his political power will become absolute. In Merlin's case, his coming of age had given him greater magical powers. He thoughtfully looked down at his hands, so amazed was he to the possibilities that he could do. Now that Anhora had revealed this to him, Merlin could feel the new magic welling within him, right in his inner core. It felt fresh, strong and strangely . . . appealing. He was vaguely aware that he graced his lips with a grin.

But the boy's musing was broken off by Anhora's bleak voice, "But I must warn you. Your new powers come with a cost."

The young warlock shot his gaze at the old sorcerer, "What cost?"

Anhora spoke in a grim tone, "Having such great power can corrupt the soul."

Merlin's face fell into a disturbed expression, "W-what do you mean?", he said with a quiver in his voice.

The Keeper gawked at the boy with eyes that seemed to look into the distant past, "I've seen sorcerers rise from their power, but fell into a state in which their hearts grew wicked."

Merlin suddenly realized what Anhora meant and this sent shivers down his spin, "Are you telling me that because of my new powers, I _can_ turn evil?", he shook his head in disbelief, "No, that can't be."

"It is inevitable.", Anhora sullenly said.

Merlin became confused, "I don't understand, I thought magic itself wasn't evil, only the heart of the one who wields it defines the purpose of the magic."

"True, but consider that you are now wielding a more powerful magic, and also, you posses the powers of a Dragon lord. I tell you, such great power can corrupt your heart. And if that happens, it will be difficult for you to return to your former self. Even the strongest of hearts can be overthrown by power. But the question remains, is your heart strong enough to withstand such powerful magic?"

Distressed, the young warlock stared blankly at Anhora. To Merlin this was the unthinkable: him becoming evil because of his magic. "This can't be . . .", he muttered as he tried to grasp it all.

He looked at himself more closely and questioned, was he strong enough that he can't be beset by such power flowing in his veins? He wasn't sure. What kind of great warlock would he be, to be given such great power but too weak to handle it? And why was he chosen in the first place? Mortified of himself, Merlin looked down on the ground.

He silently contemplated. Sure it was great to have such power. But what would become of his destiny if his heart turned wicked? Will he be able to act straight, to do the right things? What would happen to him and Arthur and his loved ones and the rest of Camelot? Would there be unity in Albion? There was so much at risk.

After a long moment of pondering, Merlin knew what to do.

Slowly he raised his eyes on the Keeper. His face firm and resolved. He lifted head up high and bravely said, "Then I don't want these powers. If I'm going to be a bad person someday because of this, then I'd rather stick to my old powers or not even have any powers at all. I use magic for good, to fight evil, to save people's lives, to serve and protect the future king of Camelot. I doubt that I will be able to fulfill my destiny if I'm like that. If having a wicked heart is the price for this…_great power_, then I don't need it. I might as well give it up."

For what Merlin said, it was a total contrast to what he was when his first came to Camelot. He remembered the exact words he said to Gaius, _'If I can't use magic, I might as well die.'_ His perspective had changed so much since then. Magic was part of his life and he intended it to be used for good. He made a vow to himself that he will never be overcome by it, that he will take control of his powers rather than the other way around. If his new powers would forever change him into the man he doesn't want to be, then he would rather be a good normal person without magic.

It was a sacrifice that he was willing to take.

"I could see how determined you are to remain good, even willing to lose your powers for that sake.", the Keeper said, "Not many sorcerers have that sort of mind set, especially the ones who wield great powers like you."

Merlin tilted his head, "You mean there are others just like me?"

Once again, Anhora disappeared from top of the rocky outcrop and reappeared under willow tree from the left. Upon hearing Anhora's voice, Merlin spun to the direction of the Keeper and slowly walked closer.

Anhora began to tell the story, "A long time ago there was a sorcerer who was like you. He was also born with magic. And in the twenty-first year of his birth he was also given great power. At first he used his magic for good, however as time passed and he grew evermore powerful. His powers besieged him and he became evil. He used his magic for personal gain, he became greedy. He wanted to achieve immortality. Eventually he was executed. And until today, his immortal soul resides in a gem buried underneath Camelot, waiting to be released."

The young warlock unconsciously took a step back in shock, he knew who the sorcerer was, "Cornelius Sigan.", he whispered in terror.

Merlin had dealt with Sigan before. He absolutely knew how evil the sorcerer was. When Sigan's soul attempted to possess Merlin, the boy felt the soul's wickedness burgeoning inside his heart, gradually taking him down to the depths of darkness. But in the end Merlin overcame Sigan by using his magic that the Great Dragon bestowed on him and he trapped Cornelius' soul back into the heart shape gem.

Merlin shook his head, blue eyes wide and horrified, "No, I don't want to end up like him. I don't want that, ever.", he paused as he tried to calm himself. After taking a deep breath Merlin asked softly but desperately, "How do I get rid of my magic? How can I stop it?"

It was painful for him to say that. Giving up something that was part of him was not the easiest thing to do. It was like he's willing to lose his limbs. But if it meant to save his soul from distraction then it was a fair price to pay.

"You cannot get rid of your new powers. It is part of who you are. And you must realize that you are destined to have such great power.", Anhora said.

"So am I also destined to become evil someday because of my powers?", Merlin retorted.

Anhora slowly drew himself closer to the young man, "What if I told you that there is a way for you to retain your powers but remain pure at heart."

Upon hearing this Merlin suddenly gleamed with hope, "Then tell me, what is it that I must do?", he said eagerly.

"You are to be tested.", the old sorcerer declared.

Merlin paused for a moment. He stared at the keeper with a disbelieving expression across his face. Then after a while the boy smirked and sniggered, "Right. Well that's very typical of you. You _love_ giving tests.", he said while muffling a chuckle.

Anhora didn't react on Merlin's wryly jest. He gave an apathetic scowl on the boy. Merlin stopped himself when he noticed Anhora's reaction, "Ah, sorry.", he apologized and made his face serious.

"This is no laughing matter Merlin.", Anhora scolded, "The tests you will go through are unlike Arthur's. These series of tests is your rite of passage. This rite is very important for you as a warlock who has come of age. Only a chosen few are given the privilege to undergo this rite. And you, Merlin, are one of the chosen to go through it."

"Well, thanks for giving such a privilege.", Merlin said feeling a sense of honor for that.

"But I should inform you," Anhora said, "that these tests can be mortally dangerous."

"What!", Merlin exclaimed, "Are you telling me that I could die in the tests?"

"It is the choice you have to make Merlin."

The servant felt a sudden urge to falter, "And if I choose not to take the rite of passage?"

"Then your new powers will someday overwhelm you and you will fall into darkness."

The young warlock sighed, he had no other choice. He has to go through the rite despite of the dangers involved. It's that or he becomes evil, which ever was worse.

So with confidence and courage Merlin bobbed his head, "Alright, I will take the rite of passage."

With that Anhora gave a slight nod. He slowly walked towards a group of trees. The Keeper waved his stuff and chanted, _"__anwreón infaer gegælen bræden__"._ The trees responded, they shook and trembled. Merlin watched in awe as the trees and vines moved aside, slowly revealing an ancient stone arch. On the sides of the arch were carvings of symbols and writings in the tongue of the old religion. Beyond the arch was a dirt path lined with plants and trees.

The old sorcerer turned to the young man, "You must follow this path through the enchanted forest. You will encounter your tests as you go along the trail."

Merlin gave a startled gazed through the stone arch. He had seen the path before. It was the same path he followed in his dream.

"You must open your heart and your mind to the tests Merlin.", Anhora said, "You will discover a lot of things about yourself through these tests. And I must tell you that if you past the last test, it will prove that _you_ are what the prophecies speak of. The one the Druids call _Emrys_."

The servant solemnly stared at Anhora. Haven't he proven many times that he was Emrys? For starters, Mordred, the Druid boy, call him that, and the Great Dragon confirmed that as well. And he had been saving Arthur's life countless of times. So wasn't that enough proof that he's the one in the prophecies? But as much as he wanted to believe that he was Emrys, somehow deep within him, he still felt doubtful. For that he has to prove it to himself. And that gave him all the more reason for him to take the tests.

Merlin took his knapsack from the ground and slung it on his back. He walked towards the stone arch and stood at the entrance through the enchanted forest. He wanted to give Anhora a last glance before stepping in, but when he turned the old sorcerer was gone. The boy scanned the surroundings but the keeper was nowhere to be found.

Then out of the blue Merlin heard the keeper's voice in this head, _"Good luck young warlock."_

Merlin grinned at that, he turned to face the enchanted forest. He took a deep breath and let it out in one gust, "Well, here goes nothing." He stepped onto the dirt path leading him to his rite of passage.

* * *

If walking for a long time was part of the test, then Merlin must have pasted it already. He didn't know how long he had been walking. Only the ache in his legs told him that he had been walking far enough. Merlin was starting to feel the toll of the sleepless night. Once in a while he took sips of the potion Gaius gave him before he left the castle. It did give him some boost of energy. He mentally noted to thank his guardian again for the potion upon his return.

Funny though, Merlin noticed that time didn't seem to pass by in the forest. He remembered it was midday when he left Anhora in the beginning of the trail. It should have been afternoon by then. But the sun still hung high above the forest canopy. The solar orb didn't seem to have changed its position in the sky, and the boy was beginning to wonder. Then again, he was reminded that he's in the enchanted forest so anything in there can be unusual.

While he was walking Merlin pondered, what sort of tests will he go through that would be mortally dangerous? He thought of the test Arthur went through and they weren't that life threatening. Merlin hoped that his magic was powerful enough to protect him from harm.

The trail he was following seemed to lead him to nowhere, and he was getting impatient. The trees and plants along the path looked the same, there was nothing much to see and he was getting bored.

_Where the heck is this path leading me to?_, he thought. He hoped that whatever he was getting himself into was worth it.

After a long walk Merlin came to a small clearing surrounded by willow trees. He stood at the edge while he made his observation. The clearing was covered with a thick layer of dried leaves and branches. And on the other side of the clearing was the extension of the path. Merlin's focus was getting to the other side of the clearing so he could continue on with his journey.

He began striding across the clearing as he trampled on the crunchy dried leaves. Then all of a sudden he felt the earth beneath him disappear. He gave out a loud yelp as he plunged into what appeared to be a sinkhole.


	9. Chapter 9 Nightmares

_**A/N: Kamusta kayo? (In Filipino it means 'how are you doing?') It's me again with a fresh new chapter. Thanks so much to those who reviewed my previews chapter and for the encouragements. I treasure every review you guys make. **_

_**Also, thanks to those who added my story to their Story Alerts and Favorite Stories. I'm so glad that a lot of you are tuning in to this, and this gives me great motivation to write more.**_

_**Hope you will enjoy reading this as much I enjoyed writing it. Please review and comment. Thanks!**_

_**Disclaimer: BBC and Shine own the rights to Merlin and the characters of the show. I don't get paid to writing this. I only write for fun.**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 9**

**NIGHTMARES**

"Hunith, are you alright?", Gaius' voice snapped Hunith out of her stupor. They were having dinner when Gaius noticed his sister's behavior. Her worried filled eyes fell on the old physician's concerned face.

Gaius sighed, "Before Merlin left, he told me to take care of you. You should be eating your supper or you'll get sick."

Hunith looked at her untouched plate of food, gently stubbing it with her fork. "I'm sorry Gaius. I'm just so anxious for Merlin."

"Hunith you should know by now that your son is capable of taking care of himself. I've seen him go through many difficult situations and he eventually gets through them unscathed."

"I know that Gaius.", Hunith wearily said, "But . . . I don't know. I feel bothered about his trip to the forest."

Gaius could feel Hunith's worry. He understood how strong a mother's concern is for her child and he couldn't blame her for feeling that way.

The physician reached his sister's hand across the small dinning table to comfort her, "There is no need for you to worry too much. I believe he will return, he made a promise, didn't he?", Gaius said with a smile.

Hunith gave a weak grin, "I hope so Gaius. I really hope so."

She wanted to believe that Merlin will come back. But deep within her, she knew something was terribly wrong. The sensation she felt was like her heart was sinking into the depths. But she couldn't tell Gaius about it. She doesn't know if he would completely understand.

* * *

Merlin stayed face down flat. He moaned as he felt the soreness in every inch of his lanky frame. He had fallen from a tremendous height and it really took him by surprise. First he was walking on solid turf across a forest clearing then suddenly he was plummeting into a dark sinkhole. Parts of his body were constantly assaulted by rocks and roots sticking out from the sides of the sinkhole as he fell. Instinctively he used his magic to slow down his descend but his reaction time was too late since after a few seconds he crashed onto the thick bed of dried and decaying leaves. Somehow he managed to survive the fall, those few milliseconds of slow down seem to have helped. The bed of leaves was thick enough to break his fall but the force of his weight crashing on it made his body felt like it turned into jelly. Once he got over the shock Merlin slowly sat up while rubbing his head. He winced when he felt a burse on his crown.

Merlin looked up to gauge how far he had fallen. He could be more than forty feet deep beneath the earth. The top of the sinkhole seemed to be covered by leaves supported by twigs and branches. He could see the small gap that he had fallen into. Sunlight streamed down from the gap shining upon him. It looked like somebody had purposely covered the sinkhole and made it into some sort of trap. Probably to catch wild animals, or perhaps, Merlin thought, young warlocks like him.

Wrinkling his nose he smelled something horrible, like rotting flesh. Probably from some dead animal that got trapped in the hole. He coughed from the awful stench and covered his nose with the sleeve of his jacket.

"Great! What have I gotten myself into?", he exasperatedly said and coughed again. He noted how his voice echoed all around him.

Merlin slowly stood up and looked around. With minimal light that was coming in from the gap above him, he could only vaguely see his surroundings. Beyond the curtain of sunlight was pitch black darkness, he needed some light.

Merlin knelt on the bed of leaves and felt around it with his hands, soon he found a broad dried branch. He raised the branch, aimed his other hand on its end and muttered, _"Forbyrne."_, his blue eyes glowed golden and the tip of the branch burst into flames.

Using the blazing branch as a torch Merlin could now see where he was. He was definitely inside a very wide cavern. There were stalactites hanging on the high ceiling and stalagmites and boulders sticking upward from the ground. Although the cavern was wide and high but Merlin felt suffocated to the place since the only way out of it was the hole he had fallen into. Cobwebs hung all over the cavern which made the place feel evermore creepier.

But what really made Merlin cringe was what he saw scattered on the cavern floor. Skeletons of different shapes, sizes and species. His mouth gaped at the sight.

Merlin looked at the bones. He was reminded of Gaius' books on animal anatomy that he had been reading. Some of the bones belong to horses, some looked like deer, and there were some that Merlin wasn't familiar of. Some of the bones seemed to have been in cavern for a long time because they had turned white. But some were still in the last phases of decomposition. Revolted by the smell Merlin wanted to throw up, but he stopped himself from gagging before he could expel his last meal. Now he knew where the horrible smell was coming from.

As he waved his torch back and forth to see his surroundings Merlin noticed something from his left peripheral about two yards from him. There was figure leaning against a boulder and it wore a dark gray cloak covered by its hood. Curious, the boy walked closer to the figure. He wanted to see what was underneath the hood. Cautiously he reached out his hand on the hood of the cloaked figure then quickly yanked it. Merlin stumbled back in shock when a skull fell from the hood and rolled on to the ground. His wide terrified eyes were fixed on the skull. It was human, and it was dead, very dead. But how did it get there? He suddenly had a notion that there could be more bodies in the cavern. Reluctant but determined the boy decided to investigate.

As he walked deeper into the cavern, he swung his torch from side to side looking for other human remains. And sure enough he saw another body on the ground. From the looks of what the corpse was wearing - rusted armor, chainmail, and sword – the body belonged to a knight from another kingdom. From the crest he bared and the design of his armor, the fallen knight came from Mercia.

Merlin trotted further into the cavern and saw another body. Its eye sockets appeared to be staring above. Beside the body there was another unfortunate soul. It appeared he had recently died, it hadn't been reduced to bones like the others. But Merlin noticed a dagger pierced on dead body's midsection and its wrinkled hands holding the dagger, as if the person deliberately killed himself. But why?

Continuing on Merlin saw another humam corps, and another, and another. There were so many bodies that he stopped counting.

The cavern was a death trap, and Merlin was inside of it. He wondered why there were a lot of human remains in one place. The enchanted forest was well hidden from the outside world and no person can go in or out unless magic was used.

Until Merlin recalled what Anhora said, that only a chosen few were given the privilege to undergo the rite of passage and that the tests could be mortally dangerous.

"Oh no. . .", The young warlock choked when he realized that the dead bodies belong to those chosen sorcerers who also underwent the rite of passage but had failed and died in the cavern. And this made his stomach turn.

How many young sorcerers were chosen to go through this rite, how many had failed and died in the tests? Apparently, from the number of bodies, a lot were unsuccessful. And Merlin feared that he would suffer the same fate. Dread started to seep within him as he thought of that probability. But it wasn't death that really scared him the most, it was failure. With much at stack in his life, in his destiny, failure was not an option for him. He started to react to the fear when he broke cold sweats.

The boy cleared his head by shaking it, he didn't want to let fear paralyze his judgment. He calmed himself by breathing in and out, trying so hard not to pay attention to the stench of death that hung in the air. He forcefully willed his mind to think.

He tried to look at the bright side, at least he was still alive, thank God for that. If there wasn't a cushion of dried leaves to break his fall he could have been a goner. Probably some of the young sorcerers died from the fall. But if the others survived the fall, what could have killed them? What bothered Merlin the most was the body that had a dagger impaled on its chest. What could have caused the man to kill himself?

The cavern was quiet, too quiet. Then all of the sudden Merlin heard something growling from behind him. Warily Merlin turned around.

Slowly coming towards him from the shadows was a pair of glowing yellow eyes looking straight at him. Its sharp teeth were gleaming from the light of the torch. It was a huge animal, and the beast looked like it came from the stuff of nightmares.

Merlin took slow steps backward, he wanted to keep a distance between him and the horrid creature. But his slow retreat came to a halt when his back came against a boulder, Merlin was cornered. He pressed his back hard against the huge rock almost flattening his backpack in the process. He was desperate to get himself farther away from the creature.

His heart was beating so hard, fear overwhelmed him like never before. He hadn't been this afraid in his entire life, and he couldn't understand why. But whatever this creature was, it emanated a strong sense of fear, and the warlock could feel it. The growling creature came closer and closer, until the tip of its nose was right in front of Merlin's cringed face.

The huge wolf was as tall as a horse and as big as a bear. Its fur was black as midnight. Drool dripped from its mouth as the wolf longed to taste its next victim. Merlin shivered, he wanted to run away from it but he was so petrified that he couldn't move. The wolf's glowing topaz eyes stared at him, and Merlin inadvertently looked into them.

Suddenly Merlin was not inside the cavern anymore. He was back in Camelot inside the empty throne room.

"What am I doing here? How did I get here?", he said mystified.

Then from behind him, he heard a very familiar voice called his name, "Merlin."

The boy spun around and gasped when he saw her. "Morgana. . ."

Merlin couldn't believe it. The woman he tried to kill months ago was standing right in front of him. She was wearing the same green dress that she wore on that fateful day. Merlin's mind was flooded with images of Morgana gasping for air and dying in his arms.

The Lady Morgana glared at the servant. Her beautiful face was rigid with anger.

"I thought you were my friend.", she said with venom her voice, "I thought I could trust you. But you tried to kill me. You poisoned me!"

Merlin stared at the lady with guilt filled eyes. He wanted to believe that what he had done to her was right. She was a traitor for becoming an instrument of Morgause's spell. But deep inside him he regretted doing that to her. He was her friend, the one she trusted about her secret, her magic. He cared about her in a way that he understood what she was going through with her magic, because he also went through the same thing.

But all of that changed when she decided to join the sorceress.

It was the most difficult decision that he had ever made in his entire life; to kill a friend, to betray her trust, for the sake of hundreds of lives. It was something that he had to do. However that act had tormented him ever since.

"I had no choice Morgana." Merlin tried to explain, "You were the cause why everybody in Camelot fell asleep. You were the vessel of the spell. I had to do it or else everyone in the kingdom will die."

"Liar!", she shouted startling Merlin. She pointed an accusing finger at the boy, "Because of what you did to me you will suffer the consequence."

"Morgana, no!", Merlin cried out.

Her jade green eyes glowed golden and a strong gust of wind filled the throne room.

In the blink of an eye he was in a different place, he was still in Camelot but this time he stood in the great hall in front of the throne of King Uther. Seated beside him was Arthur, with his head hung in weary and shame.

The furious king condemningly pointed at Merlin, "With accordance to the laws of the land, I sentence you to death, for practicing sorcery and committing treason to Camelot."

Merlin gasped. They knew, they knew he has magic. And king was going to execute him for that. Gaius wasn't there to defend him. He was alone.

"But I've been loyal to you and to your son my lord.", he said trying to defend himself, "I've used magic to protect him and this kingdom."

"Sorcerers are not to be trusted.", Uther said, "How can I believe you if you have been practicing magic right under our noses? You will be executed at dawn. Guards, seize him!"

"No, wait!", desperate the servant looked at his prince, "Arthur, you've got to believe me! I will never betray you. I'm here for you. I'm your friend."

The prince gazed on his former servant. His face unmoved, "I do not have friends who lie to me.", Then Arthur stood up and walked away from the great hall.

Merlin could only watch as the one he swore to protect vanished from behind the door. He never felt so alone in his life.

"Guards, arrest him.", Uther ordered.

Just when the royal guards were about to take the boy, the scene changed again. This time Merlin was in the streets of Camelot. The kingdom was ravaged by war. The castle and the town were consumed by fire. Most of the houses were burned to the ground. The destruction was far greater than the damages that the Great Dragon made when it unleashed its fury. Merlin could hear screaming and shouting from the town's people all around him. People crying for their dead loved ones. The kingdom was in utter chaos. Merlin ran towards the castle gates and into the courtyard. From a distance he saw Guinevere kneeling beside two people sprawled on the stone ground. She was mourning for their death.

Merlin approached the maidservant, he wondered who the people were that Gwen would pour out her tears for them. When he got close, he saw who they were and his heart crumbled into pieces.

"Gaius, mother . . . no.", Merlin said in shock as he gazed at the two lifeless forms.

Gwen looked at her friend with tearful eyes, "You failed to save them, Merlin. You failed to save us all."

Merlin staggered backward, slowly shaking his head from side to side, "No, this can't be . . .".

His mother, Gaius, his only family, they were dead. And he hadn't saved them, including the whole of Camelot. He failed them all.

Merlin was taken to another place again. He was in the middle of an open battlefield. A great war had ended and death was all Merlin could see. Knights and soldiers bearing the Pendragon crest were scattered on the blood-damp earth. There wasn't a single living soul in sight. Only Merlin was walking among the dead. A tattered Pendragon banner flowed in the chilly wind. Merlin knew what this meant, Camelot was at war and had lost.

The boy turned his head sights to his right, he noticed a golden blond head amongst the dead. He ran towards the fallen knight. When Merlin finally got to the blond knight his heart sank along with his whole body as he knelt beside the body of Prince Arthur. A sword through the prince's heart was the cause of his death. His blue eyes stared emptily on the grey sky.

Arthur was Merlin's destiny, the warlock failed to protect the prince.

Merlin started to sob. He poured out his grief as the rain began to drizzle. His life's quest was over. All the people he cared about and everything he had fought for were gone. He had failed them all. There was no sense for him to live, there wasn't anything to live for. He wanted to end it all, he doesn't want to suffer any longer.

With his mind blanked with anguish, the boy pulled out a dagger from Arthur's scabbard. He held the blade with both hands and aimed the sharp point at his gut. He raised his hands and was about to plunge the knife into him when suddenly he heard a strangely familiar voice inside his head.

"_Merlin, wake up!", _Merlin knew that voice from anywhere. It was Kilgharrah, the Great Dragon. _"You must fight dragonlord. You are stronger than this."_

The boy came back to his senses. He suddenly become aware of what he was about to do.

"What am I doing?", he confusedly said.

Merlin blinked rapidly, waking himself from his nightmare. He was back in the cavern with the big black wolf still staring and flashing its teeth at his face. The wolf was showing Merlin things that he feared the most; the consequences of killing Morgana, being executed by Uther because he has magic, his inability to save his loved ones and the kingdom, and lastly, failing to protect Arthur. Merlin hadn't realized these fears before until now. They were deeply hidden within him. And he knew now that the wolf was using his deeply hidden fears to incapacitate him.

So that's how the other sorcerers got killed. The wolf was using his powers to bring forth their greatest fears through nightmares petrifying them and ultimately led them to their deaths. If Merlin hadn't woken up from his nightmare he might have had the same fate.

The young warlock looked into the wolf's eyes again, only this time the wolf's power couldn't touch his mind. Merlin understood how the wolf's power worked and this knowledge gave him some of protection against it.

Merlin had had enough of the wolf's tricks, and its bad breath. It was time for him to act.

"Get off my face you over grown dog! _Extis!_", he shouted.

A sudden powerful force sprang out off the warlock sending the big wolf flying backward. It gave out a loud yelp as it hit the hard stony wall at the end of the cavern and the wolf crashed onto the ground.

This was Merlin's cue to run. He sprinted toward the other end of the cavern, going back to the spot where he had fallen. But he could feel the big black wolf gaining on him. The pounding of its paws hitting the ground made the cavern tremble. The wolf's bark echoed like thunder.

Merlin knew that the wolf was a creature of magic and it can't be killed with conventional means. He can't run away from it forever, so he had to think of something fast.

Suddenly Merlin had an idea. It's crazy, it's idiotic and it's suicide, but he'll get killed anyway if he doesn't do it.

He quickly turned to the direction of the dead knight he saw earlier. The young warlock took the rusty sword from the knight's boney hand. Merlin hastily shrugged off his knapsack and dropped his torch on the ground.

In order for him to do what he was about to do, Merlin needed to muster not just his power, but also every ounce of his strength and courage. Merlin took a deep breath as he intensely glared at the wolf lunging towards him.

He held the sword with both hands and said, _"Brechdan an weal d'feluac!"_

His power flowed into the blade and it started to glow. It's light illuminating the cavern. Merlin made the sword into a magical weapon for killing magical creatures, just like what he did with Lancelot's lance when they killed the griffin and with Arthur's sword when he killed the Questing Beast.

The big black wolf was closing in, its angry eyes were unwavering, determined to get the young sorcerer who had defied its power.

With the glowing sword in his hands Merlin let out a battle cry and charged.


	10. Chapter 10 Pressure

_**A/N: Wow, I'm now in my 10th**__** chapter. I can't believe that I've reached this far. It's truly a remarkable feat for me because, like I said before, this is my first attempt in writing a fan fiction and I never wrote anything this long in English (actually nether in my own national language). **_

_**I want to thank you all for inspiring and motivating me to write on through your reviews and by adding me to your story alerts, favorite stories list and communities.**_

_**I also want to thank my sweet aunt, Mama Letty. She's been reading this fic and she would constantly bug me to finish a chapter. So I dedicate this chapter to her. **_

_**I'm not done with my story just yet, Merlin is still being tested. So let's continue on where we left him. Please review. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: BBC and Shine own the rights to Merlin and the characters of the show. I don't get paid for writing this. I only write for fun.**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 10**

**PRESSURE**

Merlin charged at the incoming wolf as he cried out like a warrior plunging himself to battle. His sword glowing with magic and his heart pounding with adrenalin filled blood. Fear had left him which was replaced by blazing courage. He didn't know why he was doing this. He could have just used his magic to move the enchanted sword and hit the hideous creature. But an instinctive feeling clicked in his head. He felt this was something he should do with his own strength. And also, he wanted to get even with that wolf for tricking him.

His mind told him that this was absolutely insane, but he pushed that thought aside and let the warrior in him take over.

The beast was about to spring at him but Merlin quickly dodged himself to the right sparing his head from being snapped off by the wolf's mouth. He landed on his side then skidded on the ground. The wolf gave an aggravated snarl, irritated with the fast moving sorcerer.

Ignoring the throbbing on his shoulder and arm Merlin immediately leaped to his feet and bolted towards the side of the wolf. With one swift move, Merlin thrust his sword into its ribcage. The wolf gave out an earsplitting howl and started lashing its body around. Merlin didn't let go of the sword right away, so he got thrown back by the thrashing beast. He flew several meters and gave out an '_Ump!' _when he hit his back on the cavern floor.

A dazed from the crash landing he stayed on the ground groaning, but he managed to lift his head to see what was happening to the creature. The wolf still growled and howled as the magic of the sword began to take effect.

After one loud yowl the wolf exploded into a burst of brightness. Merlin covered his eyes from the blinding light.

The light subsided and when Merlin opened his eyes the wolf of nightmares was no more.

Merlin was so bowled over from the stunt he just did that it made his body quiver. But his exhaustion slowly turned into elation when he began to grasp what had happened. He couldn't believe it, he defeated the big black wolf, and he did it with his own bare hands. Well, he did used magic to enchant the sword. But still, he never thought of charging at the beast like that, and he was very surprised and proud of himself. His grin was so wide that it stretched the width of the cavern. Merlin stood up, flung his fists in the air and began jumping for joy.

"I did it! I can't believe I actually did it!", Merlin clamored, his voice echoed throughout the cave. The young warlock had never felt this good about himself for a long time. It was truly a remarkable feat for him.

After relishing the moment, Merlin jogged towards the spot where the wolf disintegrated. All that remained was the sword on the ground. The enchantment he placed on the weapon was gone for the magic had served its purpose. Merlin took the blade and ambled to the body of the knight from Mercia. He laid the sword on the knight's chest and stood thoughtfully over the body.

Merlin began to wonder, was the Mercian knight also a warlock like him? It could explain why the knight was there in the first place. He knew that the kingdom of Mercia wasn't very open to magic, although they weren't as drastic about it as Camelot. Those who practice magic were not beheaded, Mercia doesn't have laws that forbid magic. Instead people looked at them with distrust, and they always get blamed for the misfortunes in the kingdom. Merlin wasn't quite sure which was worse; being distrusted or being beheaded. Either way both fates were a bad thing for a sorcerer.

The young warlock could only imagine how this knight might have lived. He could have been hiding his true identity, his magic, not because he can get killed for it but because people might not trust him. And as a knight, being trustworthy was one of his greatest virtues. He had sworn an oath to serve and protect his kingdom. And maybe, just maybe, this knight could have used his magic secretly to help people and to uphold his sworn oath.

Merlin was beginning to see their similarities, not in their social stature, but how they use their gifts to serve their respective kingdoms. Merlin was not a knight, he was but a simple servant. Yet destiny had pronounced him to be the secret protector of Prince Arthur and of Camelot.

Yes, Merlin's and the knight's destiny were alike. But unfortunately, the knight had to die in this dark cavern and fail his test. Mercia had lost its protector.

The humble servant of Camelot paid his respects to the knight of Mercia, "Thank you for lending me your sword, sir. I am indebted to you.", he said somberly.

After giving homage, Merlin took his knapsack and torch and trotted towards the spot where he fell.

He lifted his cobalt eyes on the forty foot high opening of the cavern. He blew the fringe of hair on his forehead. It was time for him to think of a solution to another dilemma. How was he going to get himself out of the blasted cavern?

* * *

"So you're telling me that you haven't found the sorcerer?", Uther said.

The king was busy with his paper works when Arthur and Sir Leon entered the council chambers to give their report on the progress of their witch hunt, and Uther wasn't happy with the report.

The crown prince and the knight exchanged glances. They explained to the king that they have searched high and low throughout the kingdom but the elusive sorcerer, or druid, or whoever it was, was nowhere to be found. They already rounded up all the suspected sorcerers in the kingdom months ago when they searched for the Lady Morgana's kidnapper. They haven't receive any new reports of anyone associated with magic ever since. The only lead they had from the search was a drunken witness who saw someone wearing a blue jacket emerging from the other end of secret exit in the armory. Beyond the blue jacket description there was nothing more the witness could describe. There could be hundreds of men in Camelot who owned a blue jacket so that can't be much of a lead. Arthur and Leon were at a dead end from their search.

"We did our best to look for the sorcerer father.", Arthur said.

The king sighed, "Well you haven't done your very best Arthur. I expect more from you in the search since this sorcerer had threatened you and this kingdom. And you seemed to be giving up the search all together."

"Absolutely not father, I'm not giving up. We're only telling you that in spite of our best efforts we still haven't found him, _yet_. But we will keep searching. We'll extend our search through the outlying villages if we must."

"Then see to it that you find this sorcerer once and for all.", the king ordered.

"Yes, sire.", Arthur said. Sir Leon gave a respectful bow before both of them left the chambers.

Arthur hated it when he's being pressured by his father. The prince had done so much but still he felt that the king wasn't pleased with his performance. Uther expected more from Arthur and this irritated the prince most of the time. But in the back of his mind he tried to understand his father, he thought pressure will definitely be part of his life once he becomes king so he better get used to it.

But Uther got even more demanding from the time when Morgana disappeared, and this not only affected Arthur but all of their subordinates as well. The king sent out a patrol – more than a dozen men composed of knights, soldiers and royal guards - in search for his ward. He firmly ordered them not to return until Morgana was found. The search for the Lady went on for months, the patrol ventured out of the borders of Camelot and into the neighboring kingdoms. Until one day Uther and Arthur received word that the patrol was ambushed by King Cenred's men.

However this didn't stop Uther, his madness continued when he sent out another patrol to search Morgana. It had been three months since then and Arthur hadn't received any news of their whereabouts. He feared they might have had the same fate as the first.

The two men were both quite as they paced the hallway. Sir Leon was first to break the silence.

"What do we do now sire?", he said jadedly.

Arthur looked at the knight in disbelief, "I've never seen you so worried Leon. Is my father much more fearsome then the Great Dragon we once fought?"

"Well, you know the king. If he gets too desperate about this witch hunt he might make us go to the edge of the earth in search for this sorcerer."

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Come on Leon. I don't think my father would do something as drastic as that."

"The king is serious about this Arthur, that sorcerer was meant to harm you. If we don't find him soon, he could come back, and you might not get lucky this time. If it wasn't for your manservant to take the blow for you then you'll be the one who's bed ridden, or worse dead. Too bad, I don't quite understand why your father had to sack Merlin."

While Leon babbled on the prince suddenly realized something when the knight mentioned his former servant. He turned around to the other direction and sprinted away, "Catch you later Leon."

The knight knitted his forehead, "Where are you going?"

"There's someone I want to talk to.", Arthur said as he trailed off to the direction of Gaius' chambers.

* * *

Merlin stood beneath the sinkhole. He gazed up on gap as he thought of a way to get himself out. He could see the sky through the hole, the shade of the heavens was turning dusky blue, an indication that night was fast approaching. He had to get himself out of there if he doesn't want to spend the evening inside the stinking cave. The hole was too high to reach and climbing it would be impossible.

When the boy released his sights on the high hole his eyes wandered around the cavern. He was hoping for another way out. Then flittingly he noticed something from his left, something that he hadn't noticed since he dropped in the cave. He can only dimly see what it was because of the darkness. With his torch on hand he decided to take a closer look.

The light of his torch touched the object of Merlin's curiosity, and he was so surprised to see what it was.

Carved on the rocky wall of cavern was a stone arch and under it was an old wooden door. The arch resembled the design of the stone arch entrance to the enchanted forest. It also looked very ancient, like the forbearers of the Old Religion had put it there a long, long time ago. Engraved rune symbols adorned on the sides, and the door itself had a rune symbol etched on the wood.

Merlin clearly remembered never seeing the door when he fell in the cavern. He could have noticed it from the beginning. But perhaps, the warlock thought, the door only came out when he defeated the black wolf. These could be a sign that he had past his first test.

Relief seemed to fill Merlin's soul. He had past the test, and he was still alive and intact. But he knew very well that his rite of passage wasn't over yet. The ancient door could lead him to another test so he must ready himself for that.

Merlin studied the rune symbol carving on the wooden door. He learned a thing or two from Gaius on how to read rune symbols, and he never realized it could be handy someday. The young warlock knew the symbol right away. It was the symbol for fire. But what could it mean? He thought it could be a clue to his next test.

The boy placed his hand on the door and pushed it. Ominously the door opened. Merlin pushed the door even wider to expose what was behind it. It was a long tunnel, and like the cavern it was dark. Merlin noticed some unlit torches hung on the sides of the rough stone walls along the tunnel. He muttered_, "Forbyrne",_ his eyes flashed and in an instant the torches ignited one after the other.

Merlin stood for a long moment at the tunnel's entrance. He was having second thoughts if he should go in the tunnel or if he should just go back to the hole and look for a way to get himself out through there. He could use his magic to levitate himself up to the hole and he'll be scot-free. But then again, if he doesn't go through the tunnel then he will lose his chance to undergo the next test.

Merlin blew out a gust of air, "You can do this Merlin," he said to himself, "You must go through this."

And with that Merlin stepped in the tunnel and into the unknown.

* * *

Arthur knew he was going against Gaius' advice, but this was a matter of great importance. Merlin was the primary witness to the explosion, and any information he could give can be a great help to their search.

The prince just couldn't fathom why Merlin was acting that way as what Gaius said. Although Arthur didn't want to admit it, but Merlin was one of the most courageous persons he had ever met. The boy maybe a wimp but Merlin wasn't the type who would crumple like a trampled daffodil after getting into a life threatening situation. No, Merlin was much more resilient than that. So why did Gaius say that his ward was acting like that after the explosion? Not unless the sorcerer has done something to Merlin that made him emotionally stressed out. This was one of the things that Arthur also wanted to know, if his friend was truly ill and if he can do something about it. The prince made his pace faster through the palace halls.

Without any warning, not even a knock, Arthur stormed in the physician's chambers startling Hunith by the intrusion.

"Sire . . .", was all she said, but Hunith wasn't able to stop the prince from striding across the work area straight to Merlin's room.

"Merlin!", Arthur called out as he swiftly opened the door of the room, but all he saw was Merlin's empty bed.

Arthur pushed the door wider to let himself in. He searched the small room, but there was no sign of the servant.

"Arthur . . .", He spun around when he heard Hunith behind him.

The prince noticed her weary eyes. And from that Arthur knew something was wrong.

"Where's Merlin? I thought he was still sick.", he said in his authoritative princely tone.

Hunith shook her head, "He's not here, my lord."

Arthur crossed his arms on his chest, "I could see that Hunith, now where is he?"

She gazed on the prince's face. What was she going to tell him? Arthur was waiting for her answer. Then it occurred to her that this was something that Arthur should know, because she knew he was the only one who could get her son back home safely.

Hunith exhaled and said, "Merlin went to the forest to meet a sorcerer."

Arthur was taken aback as he stared incredulously at Merlin's mother. Then it dawn on him what she just said.

"What! Is he insane? Does he have a death wish?", Arthur said in exasperation, "He knows very well that consorting with a sorcerer is against the law. Why did he suddenly felt the need to meet one?," then Arthur realized something causing his eyes to squint, "Wait, does this have to do with what happened in my chambers?"

Hunith's mind was working overtime, she tried to find a reason for her son's actions. She thought of making up a story. But, like Merlin, she hated lying. So she thought of telling the prince half of the truth.

"It does have something to do with the explosion sire. He was seeking for some answers to what had happened.", she carefully said.

"And going to a sorcerer is the best way to look for answers?" he said condescendingly, "No offense Hunith but your son is being a complete idiot. And why did you let him wander off to the forest on his own, let alone meet a sorcerer? Gaius told me he was suffering from some emotional stress from the explosion. He should be resting."

Hunith didn't take that as an offense, instead she simply smiled at the prince, "He . . . has his reasons why he had to meet this sorcerer. He believes it's for the good of the kingdom, so I gave him my blessing."

Arthur was surprised at that. He knew Merlin would sometimes go through great lengths to help him out, beyond the line of duty. That's how loyal he was. But consorting with a sorcerer was way overboard, Merlin was endangering his life.

Arthur shifted his gaze on the floor while shaking his head in disappointment, "I still think he's being an idiot. He should have told me about this.", he then looked at Hunith in scrutiny, "Yet you don't seem to be at peace with your decision on letting him go. Why is it?"

She lifted her weary eyes at him, "Honestly sire, I'm worried for Merlin, I don't know why. Although I trust my son that he will come home safely, but there's this ache in my heart that's telling me that something is not right."

Arthur frowned. Even though he grew up without a mother but he understood that a mother's intuition was something that shouldn't be ignored.

"Did he say which part of the forest he was going?", Arthur asked with empathy.

Hunith nodded, "Merlin said he was going to the place where both of you first saw the unicorn."

Arthur's face was a picture of astonishment, "Anhora. He's gone to meet with Anhora."

The prince suddenly remembered the old sorcerer who had tested him a long time ago. He had learned so much from that experience. But why had Merlin gone to meet him?

Arthur placed both of his hands on Hunith's shoulders, "Don't worry Hunith, I'll go to the forest and look for Merlin by myself."

Hunith fretted, "But sire it's dangerous for you to go on your own. Who knows what this sorcerer could do. You should take some of your men with you."

Arthur sighed and spoke slowly, "What Merlin did is against the law. If my father finds out about this he'll have Merlin's head. I'm trying to protect him as much as I can. We must keep this hidden. Is that clear?"

Hunith felt her anxiety washed away from Arthur's words. Her eyes lit up. She was so felled with relief that she embraced the prince, "Thank you so much, sire."

Arthur smiled at Hunith's shoulder. It surprised him how Merlin's mother could hug him like that. He never really knew how a mother's hug supposed to feel, but this was the next best thing. It was loving, warm and comforting. He suddenly envied Merlin for having such a wonderful privilege in his life, something that Arthur will never have.

Although reluctant the prince released his hold on Hunith, "I'll be back with your son, I promise."

Arthur was about to leave the room when Hunith called out, "Arthur."

The prince spun around in attention to her call.

"When you find Merlin and you found out something about him, please don't look at him differently.", she said pleadingly.

Arthur raised his eyebrows. What was that suppose to mean? He didn't know how to make of what Hunith said, he just simply nodded.

With that thought hanging in his mind Arthur left the physician's chambers to start his search for Merlin.


	11. Chapter 11 The Mouth of the Dragon I

_**A/N: I have returned. And it's good to be back! :D **_

_**Sorry for hanging you guys for far too long. It had been a difficult five months for me because I was in a period of grief after my mother's passing last November. I know you would understand how difficult it is to write under such circumstance. **_

_**But still, life must go on. That's why I'm here again to continue with my story. **_

_**I couldn't have made it this far without God's help, my family and friends for their love and support, and of course to you - the readers, those who reviewed and who added my story to their Story Alerts and Favorite Stories list, even if I haven't updated for months. You inspire me to continue on. Thanks so much.**_

_**I hope you will enjoy reading this. Please let me know if you like it by sending me a review. It will really make my day if you do. ;)**_

_**Disclaimer: BBC and Shine own the rights to Merlin and the characters of the show. I don't get paid for writing this. I only write for fun.**_

_**

* * *

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**CHAPTER 11**

**THE MOUTH OF THE DRAGON**

**Part 1**

The long and winding tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly. It was like a maze of twists and turns and numerous entry points that could even make a seasoned explorer go astray, but Merlin was fortunate. For some strange reason a guide was laid out before him, a trail of fire in the form of lit torches. Merlin was thankful that at least he wouldn't be wandering around the tunnels all blind and lost like a wildren. He just hoped he doesn't bump into one of those 'giant baby rats', as Arthur called them.

The torches were aligned along the rough rocky walls of the tunnel. They were spaced about ten feet from each other. Merlin instinctively followed them even if he wasn't sure where the torches were leading him. He figured if he followed the line of torches they might lead him to his next test, or better yet, a way out of the tunnels. When Merlin came to a junction in the tunnel, where he had to choose between multiple entrances, the torches had already made the choice for him. One of the entrances had torches aligned on its walls while the other entrances were completely dark. A very obvious sign in fact and Merlin was no idiot to not know that.

The tunnel was dim, creepy and infested with spider webs. At some point Merlin had to shove the thick cobwebs that blocked his way. The webs would stick to his hair and clothes making him grunt in utter disgust. Merlin hated spider webs, particularly the ones that made them.

The darkness was suffocating and the tunnel itself appeared to be closing in on him. Being underground for far too long made Merlin miss the sun and the outside world so much. Though there were torches to light his way it still couldn't compare to the comfort and warmth the sun could give him. And being down underground Merlin had no idea what time of the day it was. He assumed it could be nightfall since he was getting rather sleepy.

The young warlock felt like he was walking for miles that he was beginning to feel worn-out. He had to stop to take a break for his legs were beckoning him to rest. Once he found a nice spot Merlin slump his bottom on the ground, stretched his long legs forward and leaned his back and head against the cool stone wall. He reached into his backpack, pulled out a water flask and took a long swig. He also took out a piece of crusty dry bread he fished from Gaius' cupboards. He broke the small bread in two and put the other half back into his pack to save for his next meal. After eating his humble supper he fixed his eyes on the ceiling as he gathered his thoughts.

Merlin wondered about what his next ordeal would be. Not that he was excited to know, he felt a sense of dread just by thinking about a test that may or may not end his life. Certainly the test wasn't going to be easy, especially if it involved playing around with his emotions and his weaknesses. He had proven that with his previous test where his greatest fears were revealed. But whatever test he would go through he should be ready for it. He had done remarkably well in his first test knowing that other sorcerers who also went through the same had mortally failed. He guessed he owed it to Kilgharrah for waking him up from his nightmare.

And this brought Merlin to another train of thought that he realized just then. How did the dragon know he was in danger? Was there some sort of magical connection between them? Was it because Merlin was a Dragonlord? Or what if the dragon's voice was a figurative expression of himself, the voice inside him, telling him to come to his senses and snap out of the nightmare? The thought was quite baffling that it gave Merlin a dizzy spell just by thinking about it. But whoever or whatever it was, be it Kilgharrah or his sub-consciousness, Merlin was truly grateful that he had help. He prayed he could have the same help in his next test.

His thoughts went to the people he cared about back in Camelot, particularly Hunith and Gaius and if they were still doing their job in hiding his absence from Arthur. Merlin suddenly felt doubtful that their pretenses would hold on for long. Merlin hoped he could finish his rite of passage before Arthur starts to suspect that he's gone - assuming that he would still be alive that is. Gees, he thought he was turning into a pessimist.

Merlin's mind slowly drifted as his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. He fought back to stay awake, he still had a long trek ahead. But the toil of the previous test and his journey through the tunnels had pushed his body to the limit. Soon he gave up the fight. His head dangled on one side, closed his eyes and snored softly.

* * *

Gaius gasped after hearing his sister's confession, "Hunith, how could you? What have you done?"

Hunith knew that telling Gaius about her conversation with Arthur will lead to this confrontation. But she would have to tell her brother eventually. So when the physician came back to his chambers after his rounds Hunith told him the truth of what she had done. And as she expected her brother wasn't too pleased about it.

Hunith was quiet, pensively gazing on a window that over looked the city and the surrounding forest. It was evening and the city glittered by small lights of candles and oil lamps coming from within households and establishments. It was like the night sky fell down to earth and covered the landscape with stars. It made the city looked breathtakingly beautiful. But the beauty of Camelot didn't do much to console Hunith's worry for her son. Her heart ached for his return.

She turned to Gaius, her eyes were pleading for him to understand. "I'm sorry Gaius. I had to tell Arthur. He's the only one who could bring Merlin back."

"Have you ever thought of the repercussions of telling Arthur of Merlin's whereabouts?" he said with pent-up frustration.

"I have thought about that but –"

"But you still went through it because you thought it was right." Gaius continued Hunith's sentence after which he blew out a gust of air to release some of his bottled tension. A few moments passed and his expression softened. He looked at his sister endearingly and sighed. "Now I know where your son got that personality of his."

Hunith smiled, "Isn't it so obvious?"

"Clearly it is," said Gaius. "But seriously, you shouldn't have told Arthur."

"I believed I had to," Hunith said with confidence.

Gaius lowered his voice, "But Merlin has magic. You among all people should know that he can take care of himself."

"And that's exactly why I had to tell Arthur," said Hunith, "I know my son better than anyone. And I know he'll need Arthur's help. And besides, I don't know who to turn to other than the prince. Merlin's been gone for quite a while now and it worries me."

The physician exhaled sharply, "I'm also worried for Merlin. But I'm afraid that if his magic is the reason for his disappearance and Arthur finds out about it, then it might cause some . . . complications in their relationship."

Hunith fell into a musing silence. She shifted her gaze back to the window and spoke, "If Arthur really is a true friend to Merlin then he should accept my son for who he truly is."

"We couldn't be certain of that," Gaius said, "Arthur grew up in his father's teachings, that those who practice magic are evil. If that's the case, he might despise Merlin if he ever finds out."

Again Hunith became quiet. She was thoughtful for a while as she tried to see reason why she trusted the prince so much in spite of his beliefs about magic. Then she remembered what she told her son a few years back in Ealdor.

"Two years ago, when he and his friends went to the village to save us from the bandits, I told Merlin that he and Arthur need each other. They were like, well, two sides of the same coin. They may not admit it but they do care about each other. They protect each other in more ways than one. I've heard a lot of your stories of how the two went of into somewhere dangerous but they both eventually came back alive. That's because they're together, they keep each other safe. I guess that's the reason why I had to tell Arthur where Merlin is. Without Arthur, Merlin will not succeed. And without Merlin, Arthur will not survive."

Hunith sternly looked back at her brother raising her chin, "I trust Arthur, Gaius. I trust him with my son's life." She finally said.

And with that the argument was over. Gaius had to agree with Hunith. Merlin and Arthur's destinies were intertwined, and without the other their destinies would falter.

The physician stared at his sister and nodded, "Let's just hope that Arthur's not too late to bring Merlin back safe and sound."

Early morning the next day, before the crack of dawn, Prince Arthur rode out to the forest.

* * *

Merlin woke up with a start and he sat up quickly. He winched when his head spun from his sudden jolt. He couldn't believe he'd fallen asleep. He only meant to sit and rest, but his body had other ideas and he drifted to a slumber. How long he had slept he didn't know. He groaned under his breath, he felt he was wasting valuable time and he still had a long way to go. He should get up and start walking.

Still in a sleepy daze he managed to push himself up from the ground. He stood up and gave himself a good stretch. He flogged his trouser and blue jacket to get rid of the dirt and of what was left of the cobwebs that clung to his clothes. He slung his backpack around his shoulders and puffed a gust of air before proceeding in following the line of torches.

After an hour of walking, Merlin came to another junction in the tunnel. He stood in the middle of the crossroads and looked at every direction. He could have chosen to turn to his left or go straight forward if he wanted to. Yet again the torches had already made that choice for him. The torches were arraying to the right. Apparently, that's the direction he should go. Trusting his guide of fire the young warlock turned to the right.

Merlin noticed from a distance that the tunnel he turned to was heading for a dead end. But there was something at the end of the tunnel. Merlin couldn't identify what it was because of the dimness of his surrounding. He was so eager to know what it was that he hurriedly trotted towards it.

Merlin stood in front of another wide wooden door. It was as big as the two panel doors of the council chambers. It also had an ancient stone arch over it with engraved rune symbols. The door looked aged and worn, like it hadn't been opened for hundreds of years.

As if the door was calling him to come closer, Merlin walked towards it. His curiosity got the better of him when he wondered what could be in the other side of the door. Without an inkling of hesitation he placed his hands on the panel and pushed it with some exertion. The door was heavy and creaked ominously. But to Merlin's surprise it moved. This encouraged him to continue pushing the door wider until a gap was made that his thin frame can slip right through. He peeked into the gap, there was a chamber at the other side of the door. But it was too dark for him to see the chamber clearly. Merlin took a torch from tunnel wall before carefully sliding himself through the opening.

His footsteps echoed as he entered the chamber. It was very dark. Merlin's torch couldn't seem to give off much brightness to light the place. He could barely make out what he was seeing in his surroundings. But if his torch couldn't light the whole place up that means the place could be enormous. He could be inside of another cavern of some sorts. Yet Merlin felt something peculiar about the place. There's magic inside the chamber, and this made him wary.

When he turned his head to his right he noticed an unlit torch on the wall. Merlin figured there could be other torches scattered around the place. He lifted his freehand to wield his magic and after he muttered a spell and his eyes flashed the torches simultaneously ignited.

The whole chamber was illuminated, and what Merlin saw caused his eyes to widen and his jaw to drop to the ground.

"What is this place?" He said in awe.

It was another cavern alright but it wasn't the same as the previous one he had fallen into. This one looked like the inside of an ancient temple within a cave. The ceiling was very high and the granite floor was very wide. It had an architectural design that reminisced of the old religion. Everything had a monotone light brown color. Four large pillars carved into columns supported the high ceilings of the chamber. Ornately carved designs of Celtic origins graced the stone walls. And across the chamber was a flight of stairs about twenty steps high leading to a platform that led to a doorway.

The chamber looked spectacular that Merlin couldn't stop marveling. He had never seen anything quite like this in his life. But the place looked neglected and abandoned. Most of the stone carvings were cracked and dilapidated crumbling into dust. Thick cobwebs hung everywhere. And the place smelled like the inside of a catacomb. Judging by the looks of the chamber no one had ever set foot in there for centuries. Nonetheless Merlin couldn't deny that magic was still residing there. A stream of free flowing power hung densely in the air.

After admiring the chamber Merlin took notice on the door above the stairway. And once again curiosity crept into him. Could the door be a possible exit? There's only one way to find out.

Merlin walked cautiously towards the stairs, still baring the lit torch in his hand. He scaled the stone steps carefully. After climbing twenty steps Merlin reached a platform. He sauntered slowly towards the doorway and stopped when he was about five feet away. The doorway was a simple rectangular hole on the wall with a white stone slab over it carved with ancient rune symbols.

Again Merlin silently thanked Gaius for teaching him to read rune. Merlin tilted his head and carefully read each symbol trying to decipher the old text.

"_Woddor . . . sylfum . . . se draca."_ He said each syllable slowly and out load. Then Merlin jerked his head and his eyebrows shot up when he understood what the symbols meant.

"The Mouth of the Dragon?" He muttered the translation incredulously, "Hmm, what an odd name for a doorway."

Without moving out of his spot Merlin examined the doorway. There were no door panels over it. And beyond the doorway was another dark tunnel. Merlin remembered the Great Dragon with its mouth bearing rows of sharp pointy teeth and a long slithering tongue. The tunnel didn't look like that. So why was it given such a name?

As Merlin visually inspected the doorway he noticed something at the end of the tunnel, something shimmered. Merlin's eyes had grown used to the darkness that he had some difficulty adjusting to light. He had to squint to regain their focus. And when his eyes adjusted and saw what it was Merlin's heart pounded with excitement and his face was a portrait of delight.

The light at the tunnel's end was indeed a way out. The exit was thinly covered with vines and leaves allowing light to penetrate through the tunnel. When the wind shook the plants it gave an illusion of shimmer. The exit was about thirty feet from the doorway.

Merlin couldn't believe it. The tunnel was his passage way out. At last he was going to see the sun again. At last he was going to be free. To his excitement Merlin immediately trotted to the doorway, but before he could even step into the tunnel something startling happened.

Without warning the tunnel suddenly burst into flames shooting a ball of fire outward from the doorway that sent Merlin jumping backward several feet. He fell on his back, he almost went over the edge of the platform. If he had jumped too far he might had fallen and rolled down the stone stairs. And having broken bones was the last thing Merlin needed.

The warlock sat up as he shielded his face with the sleeve of his jacket. Even if he was at a safe distance from the burning doorway he still could feel the excruciating heat. It was more than a hundred times hotter than the oven in the palace kitchens in Camelot, and greatly hotter than the fires that burned in a blacksmith's hearth that could turn hard metal into red molten steel.

Then it occurred to Merlin why the tunnel was called 'The Mouth of the Dragon.' The intense heat of the fire reminded him of a dragon's firry breath.

Merlin had his share of encounters with the Great Dragon when its mouth became a flame thrower, especially during the time when the enraged magical creature almost obliterated Camelot with fire. Merlin knew very well what it felt like to be in the receiving end of a dragon's flaming fury. If it wasn't for his magic to protect him - and his sheer dumb luck - he could have been a roasted warlock. And it looked like his dumb luck had saved him once again and he didn't get burned. Well, almost.

When Merlin recovered from the shock of the fire blast he smelled something really, really bad.

Like burnt hair.

Merlin hastily touched his raven locks and ran his fingers. Alas, his fears were confirmed. The fireball had scorched his jet-black hair. He could feel the coarseness at the edges of his hair. He groaned sadly at the thought that he would definitely need a haircut, a very short haircut.

But his hair was the least of his troubles. He was in a much greater dilemma. The tunnel that should have been his only way out had turned into a blazing furnace. How will he get pass the flames without getting burned? Merlin stood up as he shielded his face from the heat and narrowed his eyes to protect them from the brightness. He tried to extinguish the fire with his magic. But when he used his magic the flames became more intense, like a bucket of lamp oil was poured over the blaze. He had to step backward to keep his distance from the increasing heat. The magic behind the fire was too powerful for him to control.

Merlin sighed in frustration. Certainly this was another test. But what was he going to do? Surely he couldn't go back in the tunnels to look for another way out, he'll get lost. This was the place that he was led to. But why was he brought there, even guided to go there, only to crush his hopes for freedom? He couldn't possibly walk through the flames; he'll be reduced to ashes if he dared to.

He gazed solemnly at the roaring fire, his shoulders slouched in defeat. There's nothing he could do. He was trapped underground forever. His hope for freedom was crushed.

Then suddenly, amidst of the turmoil, Merlin heard a voice inside his head.

"_Merlin."_

The young warlock paused. The voice seemed familiar and yet a stranger at the same time. At first he thought he was hallucinating, but the voice called again.

"_Son, don't be afraid. I am here for you."_

Merlin made an audible gasp when he realized who the voice belonged to.

"Father?"


End file.
